Tabla de Especificaciones e Instructivo sobre Elaboracion de Pruebas Objetivas en la Ensenanza Primaria, para las asignaturas de Estudios Sociales, Idioma Espanol, Matematicas y Ciencias Naturales (Specification Tables and Instructions for the Construction of Objective Tests in the Primary Grades in Social Studies, Spanish, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ministerio de Educacion, Guatemala City (Guatemala). Direccion de Bienestar Estudiantil y Educacion Especial.

This booklet presents specification tables illustrating the relative importance given to topics on tests within a particular subject area. The general subject areas are social studies, Spanish, mathematics, and natural sciences. Tables are provided for final exams in each of these areas for several primary grades, illustrating the importance of…

Symbiotic Navigation in Multi-Robot Systems with Remote Obstacle Knowledge Sharing

PubMed Central

Ravankar, Abhijeet; Ravankar, Ankit A.; Kobayashi, Yukinori; Emaru, Takanori

2017-01-01

Large scale operational areas often require multiple service robots for coverage and task parallelism. In such scenarios, each robot keeps its individual map of the environment and serves specific areas of the map at different times. We propose a knowledge sharing mechanism for multiple robots in which one robot can inform other robots about the changes in map, like path blockage, or new static obstacles, encountered at specific areas of the map. This symbiotic information sharing allows the robots to update remote areas of the map without having to explicitly navigate those areas, and plan efficient paths. A node representation of paths is presented for seamless sharing of blocked path information. The transience of obstacles is modeled to track obstacles which might have been removed. A lazy information update scheme is presented in which only relevant information affecting the current task is updated for efficiency. The advantages of the proposed method for path planning are discussed against traditional method with experimental results in both simulation and real environments. PMID:28678193

Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District. Educational Specifications: K-5 Permanent (Revised 1998).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District, Roseville, CA.

An Educational Specification Committee was convened to determine the design specifications required for a new K-5 (and temporarily 6-8 grade) elementary school in Roseville, California's Dry Creek District. This report presents revisions to an earlier document that examined school room specifications for each grade level and administrative area.…

Brain connections of words, perceptions and actions: A neurobiological model of spatio-temporal semantic activation in the human cortex.

PubMed

Tomasello, Rosario; Garagnani, Max; Wennekers, Thomas; Pulvermüller, Friedemann

2017-04-01

Neuroimaging and patient studies show that different areas of cortex respectively specialize for general and selective, or category-specific, semantic processing. Why are there both semantic hubs and category-specificity, and how come that they emerge in different cortical regions? Can the activation time-course of these areas be predicted and explained by brain-like network models? In this present work, we extend a neurocomputational model of human cortical function to simulate the time-course of cortical processes of understanding meaningful concrete words. The model implements frontal and temporal cortical areas for language, perception, and action along with their connectivity. It uses Hebbian learning to semantically ground words in aspects of their referential object- and action-related meaning. Compared with earlier proposals, the present model incorporates additional neuroanatomical links supported by connectivity studies and downscaled synaptic weights in order to control for functional between-area differences purely due to the number of in- or output links of an area. We show that learning of semantic relationships between words and the objects and actions these symbols are used to speak about, leads to the formation of distributed circuits, which all include neuronal material in connector hub areas bridging between sensory and motor cortical systems. Therefore, these connector hub areas acquire a role as semantic hubs. By differentially reaching into motor or visual areas, the cortical distributions of the emergent 'semantic circuits' reflect aspects of the represented symbols' meaning, thus explaining category-specificity. The improved connectivity structure of our model entails a degree of category-specificity even in the 'semantic hubs' of the model. The relative time-course of activation of these areas is typically fast and near-simultaneous, with semantic hubs central to the network structure activating before modality-preferential areas carrying semantic information. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Volume 2 of 2 Appendices A-F Site-Specific Environmental Baseline Survey

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-09-01

wastes are/were stored and used in this area: Alcohol/ cleaning supplies I Do you know if any spills or incidents (past or present) that have caused release...yourself: Francis Serentino What substances are or were historically stored in this area: Cleaning supplies Largest quantity stored: Length of time stored...or regulated materials or wastes are/were stored and used in this area: Cleaning supplies Do you know if any spills or incidents (past or present

Incidental Detection of Type B2 Thymoma on 68Ga-Labeled Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT Imaging.

PubMed

Krishnaraju, Venkata Subramanian; Basher, Rajender Kumar; Singh, Harmandeep; Singh, Shrawan Kumar; Bal, Amanjit; Mittal, Bhagwant Rai

2018-05-01

Ga-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen is a novel radiotracer for imaging of prostate cancer. We report a hormonally treated patient with prostate carcinoma, presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms and rising prostate-specific antigen levels, who underwent Ga-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen PET/CT for suspected recurrence. No tracer avid lesion was noted in the prostate gland and locoregional area. However, intense tracer avid heterogeneously enhancing soft tissue lesion with cystic areas and coarse calcifications was seen in the anterior mediastinum. PET/CT-guided biopsy from the mediastenal lesion revealed type B2 thymoma.

Do we Need a Sociology of Energy Development?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papatheodorou, Photini; Spathopoulos, Fivos

2016-04-01

The presentation discusses the need of developing a new area of scientific study, namely the "Sociology of Energy Development". It presents our knowledge gaps, regarding the reaction of societies towards energy projects. The presentation proposes that the first steps will be to study the "ethnography" of the energy companies and acquire a clear understanding of their specific cultures. In particular, the presentation argues for a need to raise meaningful questions about the values and attitudes of energy companies in areas such as environmental awareness; gender; cultural differences and other issues of conflict. It will also propose that a new conceptual framework is developed for the specific analysis of the relationship between society and energy companies, in the fields of public perception and trust. Finally, the presentation will conclude with an exploration of key principles, which may guide the development of new ethical practices in the field of energy.

Self assembled molecular monolayers on high surface area materials as molecular getters

DOEpatents

King, David E.; Herdt, Gregory C.; Czanderna, Alvin W.

1997-01-01

The present invention relates to a gettering material that may be used as a filtration medium to remove pollutants from the environment. The gettering material comprises a high surface area material having a metal surface that chemically bonds n-alkanethiols in an organized manner thereby forming a molecular monolayer over the metal surface. The n-alkanethiols have a free functional group that interacts with the environment thereby binding specific pollutants that may be present. The gettering material may be exposed to streams of air in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems or streams of water to remove specific pollutants from either medium.

Self assembled molecular monolayers on high surface area materials as molecular getters

DOEpatents

King, D.E.; Herdt, G.C.; Czanderna, A.W.

1997-01-07

The present invention relates to a gettering material that may be used as a filtration medium to remove pollutants from the environment. The gettering material comprises a high surface area material having a metal surface that chemically bonds n-alkanethiols in an organized manner thereby forming a molecular monolayer over the metal surface. The n-alkanethiols have a free functional group that interacts with the environment thereby binding specific pollutants that may be present. The gettering material may be exposed to streams of air in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems or streams of water to remove specific pollutants from either medium. 9 figs.

Specific phobia: a review of DSM-IV specific phobia and preliminary recommendations for DSM-V.

PubMed

LeBeau, Richard T; Glenn, Daniel; Liao, Betty; Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich; Beesdo-Baum, Katja; Ollendick, Thomas; Craske, Michelle G

2010-02-01

The present review was conducted in order to evaluate the current diagnostic criteria for specific phobia (SP) in light of the empirical evidence gathered since DSM-IV and to propose changes to DSM-V where change is clearly and reliably indicated by the evidence. In response to questions put forth by the DSM-V Anxiety, OC Spectrum, Posttraumatic, and Dissociative Disorder Work Group, four primary areas were determined for this review: the accuracy and utility of the current SP type classification system, the validity of test anxiety as a type of SP, the boundary between agoraphobia and SP, and the reliability and utility of the diagnostic criteria for SP. Developmental issues are addressed within each area. Literature reviews examining academic findings published between 1994 and 2009 were carried out and the results are included herein. The review presents a number of options and preliminary recommendations to be considered for DSM-V. All of these recommendations should be considered tentative as they await the field trials and expert consensus necessary prior to their inclusion in the DSM-V. The present review also reveals a great need for future research in the area of SP and directions for such research is provided.

Weak Presentations in Introductory Physics Texts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Samuel

1978-01-01

Presents a few illustrations of physics areas such as capacitors, free fall, vectors, and waves, to show that methods of presentation of specific topics, in some physics textbooks, produce in the average student the wrong impression and ignorance of important scientific facts. (GA)

Why SRS Matters - L Area

ScienceCinema

Hunt, Paul

2018-06-22

A video series presenting an overview of the Savannah River Site's (SRS) mission and operations. Each episode features a specific area/operation and how it contributes to help make the world safer. This episode features L Area's mission and operations. The L reactor, the former production reactor, now serves as a basin for the storage of used nuclear fuel.

Length and Rate of Individual Participation in Various Activities on Recreation Sites and Areas

Treesearch

Gary L. Tyre; George A. James

1971-01-01

While statistically reliable methods exist for estimating recreation use on large areas, they often prove prohibitively expensive. Inexpensive alternatives involving the length and rate of individual participation in specific activites are presented, together with data and statistics on the recreational use of three large areas on the National Forests. This...

Transit and the Phoenix Metropolitan Area

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1970-12-01

The purpose of this document has been to present the basic factors concerning urban transit, demand, technology, and usage. The object was not to solve a specific problem or evaluate a specific proposal or system. It is hoped that it will give the re...

Environmental Inventory Upper Cumberland River, Harlan, Kentucky.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-01

presents a vicini- ty map for the area. The nearest major city is Knoxville, Tennessee, approxi- mately 140 miles southwest of the study area. Corbin...Harlan study area lies within the Cumberland Mountains section of the Ap- palachian Plateau Physiographic Province. This section has a topography typi...or unpublished mapping was available, instead a specific soils survey of the study area was implemented by the Soil Conser- vation Service (SCS) office

PARAMETRIC DISTANCE WEIGHTING OF LANDSCAPE INFLUENCE ON STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

We present a parametric model for estimating the areas within watersheds whose land use best predicts indicators of stream ecological condition. We regress a stream response variable on the distance-weighted proportion of watershed area that has a specific land use, such as agric...

Interfacial Area Development in Two-Phase Fluid Flow: Transient vs. Quasi-Static Flow Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisenheimer, D. E.; Wildenschild, D.

2017-12-01

Fluid-fluid interfaces are important in multiphase flow systems in the environment (e.g. groundwater remediation, geologic CO2 sequestration) and industry (e.g. air stripping, fuel cells). Interfacial area controls mass transfer, and therefore reaction efficiency, between the different phases in these systems but they also influence fluid flow processes. There is a need to better understand this relationship between interfacial area and fluid flow processes so that more robust theories and models can be built for engineers and policy makers to improve the efficacy of many multiphase flow systems important to society. Two-phase flow experiments were performed in glass bead packs under transient and quasi-static flow conditions. Specific interfacial area was calculated from 3D images of the porous media obtained using the fast x-ray microtomography capability at the Advanced Photon Source. We present data suggesting a direct relationship between the transient nature of the fluid-flow experiment (fewer equilibrium points) and increased specific interfacial area. The effect of flow condition on Euler characteristic (a representative measure of fluid topology) will also be presented.

Current Perspectives in Teaching English for Specific Purposes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia Laborda, Jesus; Litzler, Mary Frances

2015-01-01

Interest in Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP)courses has grown in recent years (Harding, 2007). For this reason a paper on the current situation in the field is of relevance. The present article provides a discussion of English for Specific Purposes and it does so by reviewing the history and background of this area of teaching, proposing a…

Element availability of bivalve with symbiotic zooxanthellae in coral sea area as studied by multielement profiling analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itoh, A.; Kabe, N.

2008-12-01

In coral sea, a characteristic ecosystem is formed by many kinds of marine animals and plants, although seawater is uneutrophic. This may be explained by the fact that various chemical species with bioessentiality are effectively taken and used by lower animals and plants in coral sea area. A symbiotic relationship often found among different animals and plants in this area is considered to be working as one of such processes. However, the specific bioavailability of the elements for the marine animals and plants in coral reef area has not been studied from the viewpoints of trace and ultratrace elements. It is found by the present authors that bivalve with symbiotic zooxanthellae (Tridacna crocea) living on coral reef had relatively higher bio- accumulation factors for many bio-essential elements than other kinds of bivalves, although they live in the uneutrophic sea area. The present authors focused on Tridacna crocea as one of the symbiotic animals. Thus, in the present study, at first, multielement determination of major-to-ultratrace elements (about 20 elements) in each organ of Tridacna crocea with symbiotic zooxanthellae, were carried out by ICP-AES, ICP- MS, and CHN coder. At Second, the specific bioavailability of trace and ultratrace elements in Tridacna crocea was discussed on the multielement data for seawater, seaweeds, and other bivalves in coral sea area.

Flight experiments to improve terminal area operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salmirs, S.; Morello, S. A.

1978-01-01

A brief description is given of the objectives and activities of the terminal configured vehicle (TCV) program and of some of the airborne facilities. A short analysis of some particular problems in CTOL operations in the terminal area is also presented to show how the program's technical objectives are related to the defined problems. The test aircraft was flown both manually and automatically with manual monitoring over paths including 130 deg intercepts and 2.0 km and 0.8 km finals. Some statistical data are presented from these and other flight profiles designed to address specific terminal area problems. An overview is presented of research studies receiving emphasis in the next biennium and their application to the terminal area. A description of work undertaken to study the addition of adjacent traffic information to present map displays is also given.

Planar spatial correlations, anisotropy, and specific surface area of stationary random porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berryman, James G.

1998-02-01

An earlier result of the author showed that an anisotropic spatial correlation function of a random porous medium could be used to compute the specific surface area when it is stationary as well as anisotropic by first performing a three-dimensional radial average and then taking the first derivative with respect to lag at the origin. This result generalized the earlier result for isotropic porous media of Debye et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 28, 679 (1957)]. The present article provides more detailed information about the use of spatial correlation functions for anisotropic porous media and in particular shows that, for stationary anisotropic media, the specific surface area can be related to the derivative of the two-dimensional radial average of the correlation function measured from cross sections taken through the anisotropic medium. The main concept is first illustrated using a simple pedagogical example for an anisotropic distribution of spherical voids. Then, a general derivation of formulas relating the derivative of the planar correlation functions to surface integrals is presented. When the surface normal is uniformly distributed (as is the case for any distribution of spherical voids), our formulas can be used to relate a specific surface area to easily measurable quantities from any single cross section. When the surface normal is not distributed uniformly (as would be the case for an oriented distribution of ellipsoidal voids), our results show how to obtain valid estimates of specific surface area by averaging measurements on three orthogonal cross sections. One important general observation for porous media is that the surface area from nearly flat cracks may be underestimated from measurements on orthogonal cross sections if any of the cross sections happen to lie in the plane of the cracks. This result is illustrated by taking the very small aspect ratio (penny-shaped crack) limit of an oblate spheroid, but holds for other types of flat surfaces as well.

Planar spatial correlations, anisotropy, and specific surface area of stationary random porous media

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berryman, J.G.

1998-02-01

An earlier result of the author showed that an anisotropic spatial correlation function of a random porous medium could be used to compute the specific surface area when it is stationary as well as anisotropic by first performing a three-dimensional radial average and then taking the first derivative with respect to lag at the origin. This result generalized the earlier result for isotropic porous media of Debye {ital et al.} [J. Appl. Phys. {bold 28}, 679 (1957)]. The present article provides more detailed information about the use of spatial correlation functions for anisotropic porous media and in particular shows that,more » for stationary anisotropic media, the specific surface area can be related to the derivative of the two-dimensional radial average of the correlation function measured from cross sections taken through the anisotropic medium. The main concept is first illustrated using a simple pedagogical example for an anisotropic distribution of spherical voids. Then, a general derivation of formulas relating the derivative of the planar correlation functions to surface integrals is presented. When the surface normal is uniformly distributed (as is the case for any distribution of spherical voids), our formulas can be used to relate a specific surface area to easily measurable quantities from any single cross section. When the surface normal is not distributed uniformly (as would be the case for an oriented distribution of ellipsoidal voids), our results show how to obtain valid estimates of specific surface area by averaging measurements on three orthogonal cross sections. One important general observation for porous media is that the surface area from nearly flat cracks may be underestimated from measurements on orthogonal cross sections if any of the cross sections happen to lie in the plane of the cracks. This result is illustrated by taking the very small aspect ratio (penny-shaped crack) limit of an oblate spheroid, but holds for other types of flat surfaces as well.« less

Remedial investigation report on Waste Area Grouping 5 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Volume 3 -- Appendix B: Technical findings and conclusions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-09-01

This document provides the Environmental Restoration Program with information about the results of investigations performed at Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 5. It includes information on risk assessments that have evaluated long-term impacts to human health and the environment. Information provided in this document forms the basis for decisions regarding the need for subsequent remediation work at WAG 5. Sections B1.1 through B1.4 present an overview of the environmental setting of WAG 5, including location, population, land uses, ecology, and climate, and Sects. B1.5 through B1.7 give site-specific details (e.g., topography, soils, geology, and hydrology). The remediation investigation (RI) of WAGmore » 5 did not entail en exhaustive characterization of all physical attributes of the site; the information presented here focuses on those most relevant to the development and verification of the WAG 5 conceptual model. Most of the information presented in this appendix was derived from the RI field investigation, which was designed to complement the existing data base from earlier, site-specific studies of Solid Waste Storage Area (SWSA) 5 and related areas.« less

ISO and US Standards for Thermal Cutting and Joint Preparation (U)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kautz, D.; Hochanadel, P.

The summary of this presentation is: (1) There is a lot of shared space between AWS and ISO documents; (2) Several areas use the same specifications and standards, especially true in process materials; and (3) Equipment is one area with very little overlap.

DEVELOPMENT OF CFD SIMULATION APPLICATIONS FOR LOCAL-SCALE AREAS AND POTENTIAL INTERFACE WITH MESOSCALE MODELS

EPA Science Inventory

The presentation summarizes developments of ongoing applications of fine-scale (geometry specific) CFD simulations to urban areas within atmospheric boundary layers. Enabling technology today and challenges for the future are discussed. There is a challenging need to develop a ...

Practical Educational Prescriptions for Students in the Mainstream.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choate, Joyce S., Ed.; Young, Larry S., Ed.

Activity suggestions developed by experienced teachers are presented for mainstreamed students with difficulties in specific instructional areas of reading, mathematics, spelling, writing, and behavior. Activity descriptions are grouped according to instructional area, and are classified as large group, small group, or one to one exercises.…

Prior probability modulates anticipatory activity in category-specific areas.

PubMed

Trapp, Sabrina; Lepsien, Jöran; Kotz, Sonja A; Bar, Moshe

2016-02-01

Bayesian models are currently a dominant framework for describing human information processing. However, it is not clear yet how major tenets of this framework can be translated to brain processes. In this study, we addressed the neural underpinning of prior probability and its effect on anticipatory activity in category-specific areas. Before fMRI scanning, participants were trained in two behavioral sessions to learn the prior probability and correct order of visual events within a sequence. The events of each sequence included two different presentations of a geometric shape and one picture of either a house or a face, which appeared with either a high or a low likelihood. Each sequence was preceded by a cue that gave participants probabilistic information about which items to expect next. This allowed examining cue-related anticipatory modulation of activity as a function of prior probability in category-specific areas (fusiform face area and parahippocampal place area). Our findings show that activity in the fusiform face area was higher when faces had a higher prior probability. The finding of a difference between levels of expectations is consistent with graded, probabilistically modulated activity, but the data do not rule out the alternative explanation of a categorical neural response. Importantly, these differences were only visible during anticipation, and vanished at the time of stimulus presentation, calling for a functional distinction when considering the effects of prior probability. Finally, there were no anticipatory effects for houses in the parahippocampal place area, suggesting sensitivity to stimulus material when looking at effects of prediction.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leeper, Ramon J.

This presentation provides a strategic plan and description of investment areas; LANL vision for existing programs; FES portfolio and other specifics related to the Fusion Energy Sciences program at LANL.

Technology transfer within the government

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, John

1992-01-01

The report of a workshop panel concerned with technology transfer within the government is presented. The presentation is made in vugraph form. The assigned subtopic for this panel are as follows: (1) transfer from non-NASA US government technology developers to NASA space missions/programs; and (2) transfer from NASA to other US government space mission programs. A specific area of inquiry was Technology Maturation Milestones. Three areas were investigated: technology development; advanced development; and flight hardware development.

Models, Measurements, and Local Decisions: Assessing and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation includes a combination of modeling and measurement results to characterize near-source air quality in Newark, New Jersey with consideration of how this information could be used to inform decision making to reduce risk of health impacts. Decisions could include either exposure or emissions reduction, and a host of stakeholders, including residents, academics, NGOs, local and federal agencies. This presentation includes results from the C-PORT modeling system, and from a citizen science project from the local area. The National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Computational Exposure Division (CED) develops and evaluates data, decision-support tools, and models to be applied to media-specific or receptor-specific problem areas. CED uses modeling-based approaches to characterize exposures, evaluate fate and transport, and support environmental diagnostics/forensics with input from multiple data sources. It also develops media- and receptor-specific models, process models, and decision support tools for use both within and outside of EPA.

Military sexual trauma research: a proposed agenda.

PubMed

Allard, Carolyn B; Nunnink, Sarah; Gregory, Amber M; Klest, Bridget; Platt, Melissa

2011-01-01

Military sexual trauma (MST) is a widespread problem associated with negative psychological and physical health problems. This article presents the current state of MST research and highlights specific areas in need of more focused study. Areas that have produced the greatest body of knowledge include MST prevalence and psychological and physical health correlates. We propose a research agenda based on gaps noted in our research review and empirical and theoretical evidence of issues relevant to but not studied directly in MST populations. We present evidence that MST is qualitatively distinct from other forms of sexual maltreatment in terms of its relational and vocational context as well as the severity of associated psychological distress, examine underexplored gender and sexual issues in MST, and discuss the lack of treatment and prevention studies specific to MST. Specific recommendations are made throughout in an attempt to guide and advance the field.

Supporting Student Presentations and Participation at Professional Conferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGuire, Margaret A.; Simpson, Cynthia; Duke, Lindsay Nicole

2009-01-01

Mentoring early childhood education students who are preparing to attend and make presentations at a conference can be rewarding for all involved. Often, students present current research they have conducted or share specific expertise in areas such as lesson planning, learning materials, or fund-raising. Successful mentoring, leading to…

The Biomes of Homewood: Interactive Map Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shingles, Richard; Feist, Theron; Brosnan, Rae

2005-01-01

To build a learning community, the General Biology faculty at Johns Hopkins University conducted collaborative, problem-based learning assignments outside of class in which students are assigned to specific areas on campus, and gather and report data about their area. To overcome the logistics challenges presented by conducting such assignments in…

Potential applications of expert systems and operations research to space station logistics functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lippiatt, Thomas F.; Waterman, Donald

1985-01-01

The applicability of operations research, artificial intelligence, and expert systems to logistics problems for the space station were assessed. Promising application areas were identified for space station logistics. A needs assessment is presented and a specific course of action in each area is suggested.

ACCURACY OF THE 1992 NATIONAL LAND COVER DATASET AREA ESTIMATES: AN ANALYSIS AT MULTIPLE SPATIAL EXTENTS

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract for poster presentation:

Site-specific accuracy assessments evaluate fine-scale accuracy of land-use/land-cover(LULC) datasets but provide little insight into accuracy of area estimates of LULC

classes derived from sampling units of varying size. Additiona...

Computer integrated manufacturing/processing in the HPI. [Hydrocarbon Processing Industry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yoshimura, J.S.

1993-05-01

Hydrocarbon Processing and Systemhouse Inc., developed a comprehensive survey on the status of computer integrated manufacturing/processing (CIM/CIP) targeted specifically to the unique requirements of the hydrocarbon processing industry. These types of surveys and other benchmarking techniques can be invaluable in assisting companies to maximize business benefits from technology investments. The survey was organized into 5 major areas: CIM/CIP planning, management perspective, functional applications, integration and technology infrastructure and trends. The CIM/CIP planning area dealt with the use and type of planning methods to plan, justify implement information technology projects. The management perspective section addressed management priorities, expenditure levels and implementationmore » barriers. The functional application area covered virtually all functional areas of organization and focused on the specific solutions and benefits in each of the functional areas. The integration section addressed the needs and integration status of the organization's functional areas. Finally, the technology infrastructure and trends section dealt with specific technologies in use as well as trends over the next three years. In February 1993, summary areas from preliminary results were presented at the 2nd International Conference on Productivity and Quality in the Hydrocarbon Processing Industry.« less

Educating Orchestral Musicians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calissendorff, Maria; Hannesson, Haukur F.

2017-01-01

This article examines research on the specific training of musicians before they begin work as players in professional orchestras. Most of the research is in the area of education. The present article suggests that little research exists that is specific to the development of a traditional orchestra musician from an early age through the music…

Enhancing the spatial coverage of a regional high-quality hydraulic conductivity dataset with estimates made from domestic water-well specific-capacity tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priebe, Elizabeth H.; Neville, C. J.; Rudolph, D. L.

2018-03-01

The spatial coverage of hydraulic conductivity ( K) values for large-scale groundwater investigations is often poor because of the high costs associated with hydraulic testing and the large areas under investigation. Domestic water wells are ubiquitous and their well logs represent an untapped resource of information that includes mandatory specific-capacity tests, from which K can be estimated. These specific-capacity tests are routinely conducted at such low pumping rates that well losses are normally insignificant. In this study, a simple and practical approach to augmenting high-quality K values with reconnaissance-level K values from water-well specific-capacity tests is assessed. The integration of lesser quality K values from specific-capacity tests with a high-quality K data set is assessed through comparisons at two different scales: study-area-wide (a 600-km2 area in Ontario, Canada) and in a single geological formation within a portion of the broader study area (200 km2). Results of the comparisons demonstrate that reconnaissance-level K estimates from specific-capacity tests approximate the ranges and distributions of the high-quality K values. Sufficient detail about the physical basis and assumptions that are invoked in the development of the approach are presented here so that it can be applied with confidence by practitioners seeking to enhance their spatial coverage of K values with specific-capacity tests.

Overview of Lightweight Structures for Rotorcraft Engines and Drivetrains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Gary D.

2011-01-01

This is an overview presentation of research being performed in the Advanced Materials Task within the NASA Subsonic Rotary Wing Project. This research is focused on technology areas that address both national goals and project goals for advanced rotorcraft. Specific technology areas discussed are: (1) high temperature materials for advanced turbines in turboshaft engines; (2) polymer matrix composites for lightweight drive system components; (3) lightweight structure approaches for noise and vibration control; and (4) an advanced metal alloy for lighter weight bearings and more reliable mechanical components. An overview of the technology in each area is discussed, and recent accomplishments are presented.

Identifying areas of need relative to liver disease: geographic clustering within a health service district.

PubMed

El-Atem, Nathan; Irvine, Katharine M; Valery, Patricia C; Wojcik, Kyle; Horsfall, Leigh; Johnson, Tracey; Janda, Monika; McPhail, Steven M; Powell, Elizabeth E

2017-08-01

Background Many people with chronic liver disease (CLD) are not detected until they present to hospital with advanced disease, when opportunities for intervention are reduced and morbidity is high. In order to build capacity and liver expertise in the community, it is important to focus liver healthcare resources in high-prevalence disease areas and specific populations with an identified need. The aim of the present study was to examine the geographic location of people seen in a tertiary hospital hepatology clinic, as well as ethnic and sociodemographic characteristics of these geographic areas. Methods The geographic locations of hepatology out-patients were identified via the out-patient scheduling database and grouped into statistical area (SA) regions for demographic analysis using data compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Results During the 3-month study period, 943 individuals from 71 SA Level 3 regions attended clinic. Nine SA Level 3 regions accounted for 55% of the entire patient cohort. Geographic clustering was seen especially for people living with chronic hepatitis B virus. There was a wide spectrum of socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage in areas with high liver disease prevalence. Conclusions The geographic area from which people living with CLD travel to access liver health care is extensive. However, the greatest demand for tertiary liver disease speciality care is clustered within specific geographic areas. Outreach programs targeted to these areas may enhance liver disease-specific health service resourcing. What is known about the topic? The demand for tertiary hospital clinical services in CLD is rising. However, there is limited knowledge about the geographic areas from which people living with CLD travel to access liver services, or the ethnic, socioeconomic and education characteristics of these areas. What does this paper add? The present study demonstrates that a substantial proportion of people living with CLD and accessing tertiary hospital liver services are clustered within specific geographic areas. The most striking geographic clustering was seen for people living with chronic hepatitis B, in regions with a relatively high proportion of people born in Vietnam and China. In addition to ethnicity, the data show an apparent ecological association between liver disease and both socioeconomic and educational and/or occupational disadvantage. What are the implications for practitioners? Identifying where demand for clinical services arises is an important step for service planning and preparing for potential outreach programs to optimise community-based care. It is likely that outreach programs to engage and enhance primary care services in geographic areas from which the greatest demand for tertiary liver disease speciality care arises would yield greater relative return on investment than non-targeted outreach programs.

Integrated disease management strategies in sugarcane cultivation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sugarcane diseases cause severe losses to sugar production around the world. More than 100 bacterial, fungal, phytoplasma and viral diseases are present in sugarcane growing areas worldwide. Some diseases are present in most sugarcane growing regions while others are confined to specific countries. ...

Proposal for Land Consolidation Project Solutions for Selected Problem Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojcik-Len, Justyna; Strek, Zanna

2017-12-01

One of the economic tools for supporting agricultural policy are the activities implemented under the Rural Development Program (RDP). By encouraging agricultural activities and creating equal opportunities for development of farms, among others in areas with unfavourable environmental conditions characterized by low productivity of soils exposed to degradation, decision makers can contribute to improving the spatial structure of rural areas. In Poland, one of the major concerns are agricultural problem areas (regions). In view of this situation, the aim of this article was to characterize the problem areas in question and propose land consolidation project solutions for selected fragments of those areas. This paper presents the results of a review of literature and an analysis of geodetic and cartographic data regarding the problem areas. The process of land consolidation, which is one of the technical and legal instruments supporting the development of rural areas, was characterized. The study allowed the present authors to establish criteria for selecting agricultural problem areas for land consolidation. To develop a proposal for rational management of the problem areas, key general criteria (location, topography, soil quality and usefulness) and specific criteria were defined and assigned weights. A conception of alternative development of the agricultural problem areas was created as part of a land consolidation project. The results were used to create a methodology for the development of agricultural problem areas to be employed during land consolidation in rural areas. Every agricultural space includes areas with unfavourable environmental and soil conditions determined by natural or anthropogenic factors. Development of agricultural problem areas through land consolidation should take into account the specific functions assigned to these areas in land use plans, as well as to comply with legal regulations.

Water-level, recharge, discharge, specific-capacity, well-yield, and aquifer-test data for the Edwards aquifer in the San Antonio area, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maclay, R.W.; Small, T.A.; Rettman, P.L.

1980-01-01

This report presents data and informat ion, and indicates other sources of data, on water level s, recharge, discharge, spec ifi c capacity, well yields, and aquifer tests for the Edwards aquifer in the Sa n Antonio area, Texas.

Navajo Area Language Arts Project (NALAP). Book 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eby, J. Wesley; And Others

Ten units containing 86 structural objectives make up this volume of instructional materials for the first year to year and a half of teaching English as a second language to Navajo children. The Navajo Area Language Arts Project (NALAP) materials, intended to present a sequence of English grammatical structures based on specific language and…

Service Area Market Analysis: Focus on Industry and Occupation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Front Range Community Coll., Westminster, CO.

This report presents occupation and industry data (statewide and service area specific) for the purpose of assessing external forces in order to provide information to help guide policymaking at Front Range Community College. The report contains tables that display statewide occupational trends as published by the Colorado Department of Labor and…

Intrinsic activation: the relationship between biomass inorganic content and porosity formation during pyrolysis.

PubMed

Stratford, James P; Hutchings, Tony R; de Leij, Frans A A M

2014-05-01

The utility of pyrolytic carbons is closely related to their porosity and surface area, there is a clear benefit to the development of biomass pyrolysis processes which produce highly porous carbons. The results presented in this work demonstrate that by using biomass precursors with high inorganic content along with specified process conditions, carbons can be consistently produced with specific surface areas between 900 and 1600 m(2)/g. Results from 12 different source materials show that the formation of increased porosity in pyrolytic carbons is strongly associated with the presence of inorganic elements in the precursors including: magnesium, potassium and sulfur. It was found that pyrolysis of macro-algae can produce especially high specific surface area carbons (mean: 1500 m(2)/g), without externally applied activating agents. Using cheap readily available agricultural residues such as oilseed rape straw, pyrolytic carbons can be produced with specific surface areas of around 950 m(2)/g. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extinction reveals that primary sensory cortex predicts reinforcement outcome

PubMed Central

Bieszczad, Kasia M.; Weinberger, Norman M.

2011-01-01

Primary sensory cortices are traditionally regarded as stimulus analyzers. However, studies of associative learning-induced plasticity in the primary auditory cortex (A1) indicate involvement in learning, memory and other cognitive processes. For example, the area of representation of a tone becomes larger for stronger auditory memories and the magnitude of area gain is proportional to the degree that a tone becomes behaviorally important. Here, we used extinction to investigate whether “behavioral importance” specifically reflects a sound’s ability to predict reinforcement (reward or punishment) vs. to predict any significant change in the meaning of a sound. If the former, then extinction should reverse area gains as the signal no longer predicts reinforcement. Rats (n = 11) were trained to bar-press to a signal tone (5.0 kHz) for water-rewards, to induce signal-specific area gains in A1. After subsequent withdrawal of reward, A1 was mapped to determine representational areas. Signal-specific area gains — estimated from a previously established brain–behavior quantitative function — were reversed, supporting the “reinforcement prediction” hypothesis. Area loss was specific to the signal tone vs. test tones, further indicating that withdrawal of reinforcement, rather than unreinforced tone presentation per se, was responsible for area loss. Importantly, the amount of area loss was correlated with the amount of extinction (r = 0.82, p < 0.01). These findings show that primary sensory cortical representation can encode behavioral importance as a signal’s value to predict reinforcement, and that the number of cells tuned to a stimulus can dictate its ability to command behavior. PMID:22304434

Iowa observation well network; past, present, and future

USGS Publications Warehouse

Logel, John D.

1980-01-01

All present and past USGS observation wells for the State of Iowa since 1935 are listed and located on maps. It is recommended that improvement of the observation-well network by the addition of wells in specific areas should be undertaken as soon as possible.

Steady-state visually evoked potential correlates of human body perception.

PubMed

Giabbiconi, Claire-Marie; Jurilj, Verena; Gruber, Thomas; Vocks, Silja

2016-11-01

In cognitive neuroscience, interest in the neuronal basis underlying the processing of human bodies is steadily increasing. Based on functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, it is assumed that the processing of pictures of human bodies is anchored in a network of specialized brain areas comprising the extrastriate and the fusiform body area (EBA, FBA). An alternative to examine the dynamics within these networks is electroencephalography, more specifically so-called steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs). In SSVEP tasks, a visual stimulus is presented repetitively at a predefined flickering rate and typically elicits a continuous oscillatory brain response at this frequency. This brain response is characterized by an excellent signal-to-noise ratio-a major advantage for source reconstructions. The main goal of present study was to demonstrate the feasibility of this method to study human body perception. To that end, we presented pictures of bodies and contrasted the resulting SSVEPs to two control conditions, i.e., non-objects and pictures of everyday objects (chairs). We found specific SSVEPs amplitude differences between bodies and both control conditions. Source reconstructions localized the SSVEP generators to a network of temporal, occipital and parietal areas. Interestingly, only body perception resulted in activity differences in middle temporal and lateral occipitotemporal areas, most likely reflecting the EBA/FBA.

A decision support system-based procedure for evaluation and monitoring of protected areas sustainability for the Mediterranean region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pediaditi, K.; Buono, F.; Pompigna, F.; Bogliotti, C.; Nurlu, E.; Ladisa, G.; Petropoulos, G. P.

2011-10-01

Despite common acknowledgement of the value of protected areas as instruments in ensuring sustainability, and their promotion for the achievement of policies on halting the loss of biodiversity, there is no common approach today for monitoring and evaluating them. This paper presents a novel integrated nature conservation management procedure developed to monitor and evaluate the sustainability of Mediterranean protected areas. This procedure was successfully implemented and formally evaluated by protected area managers in six Mediterranean countries, results of which are presented here together with an overview of the web-based Decision Support System (DSS) developed to facilitate its wide adoption. The DSS and procedure has been designed and evaluated by managers as a useful tool, which facilitates and provides needed procedural guidance for protected area monitoring whilst minimizing input requirements to do so. The procedure and DSS were developed following a review of existing protected area assessment tools and a detailed primary investigation of the needs and capacity of its intended users. Essentially, the procedure and DSS guides provide the facilities for protected area managers, in following a participatory approach to develop a context-specific sustainability monitoring strategy, for their protected area. Consequently, the procedure is, by design, participatory, context specific, holistic and relevant to protected area management and institutional procedures. The procedure was piloted and formally evaluated in Greece, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Malta and Cyprus. Feedback collected from the pilot evaluations is also summarised herein.

The effects of gray scale image processing on digital mammography interpretation performance.

PubMed

Cole, Elodia B; Pisano, Etta D; Zeng, Donglin; Muller, Keith; Aylward, Stephen R; Park, Sungwook; Kuzmiak, Cherie; Koomen, Marcia; Pavic, Dag; Walsh, Ruth; Baker, Jay; Gimenez, Edgardo I; Freimanis, Rita

2005-05-01

To determine the effects of three image-processing algorithms on diagnostic accuracy of digital mammography in comparison with conventional screen-film mammography. A total of 201 cases consisting of nonprocessed soft copy versions of the digital mammograms acquired from GE, Fischer, and Trex digital mammography systems (1997-1999) and conventional screen-film mammograms of the same patients were interpreted by nine radiologists. The raw digital data were processed with each of three different image-processing algorithms creating three presentations-manufacturer's default (applied and laser printed to film by each of the manufacturers), MUSICA, and PLAHE-were presented in soft copy display. There were three radiologists per presentation. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for GE digital mass cases was worse than screen-film for all digital presentations. The area under the receiver operating characteristic for Trex digital mass cases was better, but only with images processed with the manufacturer's default algorithm. Sensitivity for GE digital mass cases was worse than screen film for all digital presentations. Specificity for Fischer digital calcifications cases was worse than screen film for images processed in default and PLAHE algorithms. Specificity for Trex digital calcifications cases was worse than screen film for images processed with MUSICA. Specific image-processing algorithms may be necessary for optimal presentation for interpretation based on machine and lesion type.

Specific interface area and self-stirring in a two-liquid system experiencing intense interfacial boiling below the bulk boiling temperatures of both components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldobin, Denis S.; Pimenova, Anastasiya V.

2017-04-01

We present an approach to theoretical assessment of the mean specific interface area (δ S/δ V) for a well-stirred system of two immiscible liquids experiencing interfacial boiling. The assessment is based on the balance of transformations of mechanical energy and the laws of the momentum and heat transfer in the turbulent boundary layer. The theory yields relations between the specific interface area and the characteristics of the system state. In particular, this allows us to derive the equations of self-cooling dynamics of the system in the absence of external heat supply. The results provide possibility for constructing a self-contained mathematical description of the process of interfacial boiling. In this study, we assume the volume fractions of two components to be similar as well as the values of their kinematic viscosity and molecular heat diffusivity.

A Rejoinder to Sarangapani and Winch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tooley, James; Dixon, Pauline; Gomathi, S. V.

2010-01-01

This article presents a rejoinder to P. Sarangapani and C. Winch who accuse the authors of creating an "ideological fairytale" about the merits of private education for low income families, specifically in poor areas of Hyderabad. The authors present their remarks on Sarangapani and Winch's reply to their article.

Material of Geographic Import in the National Anthropological Archives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, James R.

Presenting specific examples of the manuscripts, cartographic materials, and pictorial materials found in the National Anthropological Archives, this paper describes Archive holdings (in such areas as archeology, linguistics, physical anthropology, and various branches of ethnology) which are dated from 1850 to the present and are representative…

Nineteenth International Cosmic Ray Conference. HE Sessions, Volume 8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, F. C. (Compiler)

1985-01-01

Papers submitted for presentation at the 19th International Cosmic Ray Conference are compiled. The present volume contains papers addressing high energy interactions and related phenomena. Specific topic areas include muons, neutrinos, magnetic monopoles, nucleon decay, searches for new particles, and acoustic and thermoluminescence detection techniques.

Readings in Professional Personnel Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Personnel Management Association, Washington, DC.

Thirteen papers are presented that discuss issues in public personnel decision making, specifically in the area of personnel selection. After an introduction by James P. Springer, the following papers are presented: (1) "History of Employment Testing" (Matthew Hale); (2) "Job Families: A Review and Discussion of Their Implications for Personnel…

Case Studies on Using Strengths and Interests to Address the Needs of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanou, Aaron; Hough, Lauren; Powell, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

Students on the autism spectrum present with difficulties in a variety of areas, including social understanding, emotional regulation, academics, and behavior. Professionals working in the field of autism must identify and address these areas of need given each individual child's specific cognitive profiles. In this article the authors highlight…

Assays for Qualification and Quality Stratification of Clinical Biospecimens Used in Research: A Technical Report from the ISBER Biospecimen Science Working Group.

PubMed

Betsou, Fay; Bulla, Alexandre; Cho, Sang Yun; Clements, Judith; Chuaqui, Rodrigo; Coppola, Domenico; De Souza, Yvonne; De Wilde, Annemieke; Grizzle, William; Guadagni, Fiorella; Gunter, Elaine; Heil, Stacey; Hodgkinson, Verity; Kessler, Joseph; Kiehntopf, Michael; Kim, Hee Sung; Koppandi, Iren; Shea, Katheryn; Singh, Rajeev; Sobel, Marc; Somiari, Stella; Spyropoulos, Demetri; Stone, Mars; Tybring, Gunnel; Valyi-Nagy, Klara; Van den Eynden, Gert; Wadhwa, Lalita

2016-10-01

This technical report presents quality control (QC) assays that can be performed in order to qualify clinical biospecimens that have been biobanked for use in research. Some QC assays are specific to a disease area. Some QC assays are specific to a particular downstream analytical platform. When such a qualification is not possible, QC assays are presented that can be performed to stratify clinical biospecimens according to their biomolecular quality.

Assays for Qualification and Quality Stratification of Clinical Biospecimens Used in Research: A Technical Report from the ISBER Biospecimen Science Working Group

PubMed Central

Bulla, Alexandre; Cho, Sang Yun; Clements, Judith; Chuaqui, Rodrigo; Coppola, Domenico; De Souza, Yvonne; De Wilde, Annemieke; Grizzle, William; Guadagni, Fiorella; Gunter, Elaine; Heil, Stacey; Hodgkinson, Verity; Kessler, Joseph; Kiehntopf, Michael; Kim, Hee Sung; Koppandi, Iren; Shea, Katheryn; Singh, Rajeev; Sobel, Marc; Somiari, Stella; Spyropoulos, Demetri; Stone, Mars; Tybring, Gunnel; Valyi-Nagy, Klara; Van den Eynden, Gert; Wadhwa, Lalita

2016-01-01

This technical report presents quality control (QC) assays that can be performed in order to qualify clinical biospecimens that have been biobanked for use in research. Some QC assays are specific to a disease area. Some QC assays are specific to a particular downstream analytical platform. When such a qualification is not possible, QC assays are presented that can be performed to stratify clinical biospecimens according to their biomolecular quality. PMID:27046294

Determination of burning area and port volume in complex burning regions of a solid rocket motor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kingsbury, J. A.

1977-01-01

An analysis of the geometry of the burning in both star-cylindrical port interface regions and regions of partially inhibited slots is presented. Some characteristics parameters are defined and illustrated. Methods are proposed for calculating burning areas which functionally depend only on the total distance burned. According to this method, several points are defined where abrupt changes in geometry occur, and these are tracked throughout the burn. Equations are developed for computing port perimeter and port area at pre-established longitudinal positions. Some common formulas and some newly developed formulas are then used to compute burning surface area and port volume. Some specific results are presented for the solid rocket motor committed to the space shuttle project.

ASRDI Oxygen Technology Survey. Volume 2: Cleaning Requirements, Procedures, and Verification Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bankaitis, H.; Schueller, C. F.

1972-01-01

The oxygen system cleaning specifications drawn from 23 industrial and government sources are presented along with cleaning processes employed for meeting these specifications, and recommended postcleaning inspection procedures for establishing the cleanliness achieved. Areas of agreement and difference in the specifications, procedures, and inspection are examined. Also, the lack of clarity or specificity will be discussed. This absence of clarity represents potential safety hazards due to misinterpretation. It can result in exorbitant expenditures of time and money in satisfying unnecessary requirements.

Estimating total forest biomass in Maine, 1995

Treesearch

Eric H. Wharton; Douglas M. Griffith; Douglas M. Griffith

1998-01-01

Presents methods for synthesizing information from existing biomass literature for estimating biomass over extensive forest areas with specific applications to Maine. Tables of appropriate regression equations and the tree and shrub species to which these equations can be applied are presented as well as biomass estimates at the county and state level.

Biomaterials for tissue engineering: summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christenson, L.; Mikos, A. G.; Gibbons, D. F.; Picciolo, G. L.; McIntire, L. V. (Principal Investigator)

1997-01-01

This article summarizes presentations and discussion at the workshop "Enabling Biomaterial Technology for Tissue Engineering," which was held during the Fifth World Biomaterials Congress in May 1996. Presentations covered the areas of material substrate architecture, barrier effects, and cellular response, including analysis of biomaterials challenges involved in producing specific tissue-engineered products.

Goats as sentinel hosts for the detection of tick-borne encephalitis risk areas in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland.

PubMed

Rieille, Nadia; Klaus, Christine; Hoffmann, Donata; Péter, Olivier; Voordouw, Maarten J

2017-07-11

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an important tick-borne disease in Europe. Detection of the TBE virus (TBEV) in local populations of Ixodes ricinus ticks is the most reliable proof that a given area is at risk for TBE, but this approach is time-consuming and expensive. A cheaper and simpler approach is to use immunology-based methods to screen vertebrate hosts for TBEV-specific antibodies and subsequently test the tick populations at locations with seropositive animals. The purpose of the present study was to use goats as sentinel animals to identify new risk areas for TBE in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. A total of 4114 individual goat sera were screened for TBEV-specific antibodies using immunological methods. According to our ELISA assay, 175 goat sera reacted strongly with TBEV antigen, resulting in a seroprevalence rate of 4.3%. The serum neutralization test confirmed that 70 of the 173 ELISA-positive sera had neutralizing antibodies against TBEV. Most of the 26 seropositive goat flocks were detected in the known risk areas in the canton of Valais, with some spread into the connecting valley of Saas and to the east of the town of Brig. One seropositive site was 60 km to the west of the known TBEV-endemic area. At two of the three locations where goats were seropositive, the local tick populations also tested positive for TBEV. The combined approach of screening vertebrate hosts for TBEV-specific antibodies followed by testing the local tick population for TBEV allowed us to detect two new TBEV foci in the canton of Valais. The present study showed that goats are useful sentinel animals for the detection of new TBEV risk areas.

Survey of existing performance requirements in codes and standards for light-frame construction

Treesearch

G. E. Sherwood

1980-01-01

Present building codes and standards are a combination of specifications and performance criteria. Where specifications prevail, the introduction f new materials or methods can be a long, cumbersome process. To facilitate the introduction of new technology, performance requirements are becoming more prevalent. In some areas, there is a lack of information on which to...

Syntactic Versus Memory Accounts of the Sentence Comprehension Deficits of Specific Language Impairment: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery, James W.; Gillam, Ronald B.; Evans, Julia L.

2016-01-01

Purpose: Compared with same-age typically developing peers, school-age children with specific language impairment (SLI) exhibit significant deficits in spoken sentence comprehension. They also demonstrate a range of memory limitations. Whether these 2 deficit areas are related is unclear. The present review article aims to (a) review 2 main…

[Life quality parameters in prenosologic evaluation of health state in residents of protective measures area near objects of storage and destruction of chemical weapons].

PubMed

Filippov, V L; Nechaeva, E N

2014-01-01

The article presents results of life quality assessment and subjective evaluation data on health state, used for prenosologic evaluation of health state in residents of protective measures area near objects of storage and destruction of chemical weapons. Considering specific features of residence near potentially dangerous objects, the authors conducted qualitative evaluation of satisfaction with various life facets, with taking into account the objects specificity, established correlation between life quality and self-evaluation of health with factors influencing public health state.

Advanced Sensors and Applications Study (ASAS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chism, S. B.; Hughes, C. L.

1976-01-01

The present EOD requirements for sensors in the space shuttle era are reported with emphasis on those applications which were deemed important enough to warrant separate sections. The application areas developed are: (1) agriculture; (2) atmospheric corrections; (3) cartography; (4) coastal studies; (5) forestry; (6) geology; (7) hydrology; (8) land use; (9) oceanography; and (10) soil moisture. For each application area. The following aspects were covered: (1) specific goals and techniques, (2) individual sensor requirements including types, bands, resolution, etc.; (3) definition of mission requirements, type orbits, coverages, etc.; and (4) discussion of anticipated problem areas and solutions. The remote sensors required for these application areas include; (1) camera systems; (2) multispectral scanners; (3) microwave scatterometers; (4) synthetic aperture radars; (5) microwave radiometers; and (6) vidicons. The emphasis in the remote sensor area was on the evaluation of present technology implications about future systems.

Motion Trajectories for Wide-area Surveying with a Rover-based Distributed Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tunstel, Edward; Anderson, Gary; Wilson, Edmond

2006-01-01

A mobile ground survey application that employs remote sensing as a primary means of area coverage is highlighted. It is distinguished from mobile robotic area coverage problems that employ contact or proximity-based sensing. The focus is on a specific concept for performing mobile surveys in search of biogenic gases on planetary surfaces using a distributed spectrometer -- a rover-based instrument designed for wide measurement coverage of promising search areas. Navigation algorithms for executing circular and spiral survey trajectories are presented for widearea distributed spectroscopy and evaluated based on area covered and distance traveled.

The Role of Remote Sensing in Assessing Forest Biomass in Appalachian South Carolina

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shain, W.; Nix, L.

1982-01-01

Information is presented on the use of color infrared aerial photographs and ground sampling methods to quantify standing forest biomass in Appalachian South Carolina. Local tree biomass equations are given and subsequent evaluation of stand density and size classes using remote sensing methods is presented. Methods of terrain analysis, environmental hazard rating, and subsequent determination of accessibility of forest biomass are discussed. Computer-based statistical analyses are used to expand individual cover-type specific ground sample data to area-wide cover type inventory figures based on aerial photographic interpretation and area measurement. Forest biomass data are presented for the study area in terms of discriminant size classes, merchantability limits, accessibility (as related to terrain and yield/harvest constraints), and potential environmental impact of harvest.

A Limousin specific myostatin allele affects longissimus muscle area and fatty acid profiles in a Wagyu-Limousin F*2* population

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A microsatellite-based genome scan of a Wagyu x Limousin F2 cross population previously demonstrated QTL affecting longissimus muscle area (LMA) and fatty acid composition were present in regions near the centromere of BTA 2. In this study we used 70 SNP markers to examine the centromeric 20 megabas...

Leaf traits and associated ecosystem characteristics across subtropical and timberline forests in the Gongga Mountains, Eastern Tibetan Plateau

Treesearch

Tianxiang Luo; Ji Luo; Yude Pan

2005-01-01

Knowledge of how leaf characteristics might be used to deduce information on ecosystem functioning and how this scaling task could be done is limited. In this study, we present field data for leaf lifespan, specific leaf area (SLA) and mass and area-based leaf nitrogen concentrations (Nmass, Narea) of dominant tree species...

User Modeling in Adaptive Hypermedia Educational Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martins, Antonio Constantino; Faria, Luiz; Vaz de Carvalho, Carlos; Carrapatoso, Eurico

2008-01-01

This document is a survey in the research area of User Modeling (UM) for the specific field of Adaptive Learning. The aims of this document are: To define what it is a User Model; To present existing and well known User Models; To analyze the existent standards related with UM; To compare existing systems. In the scientific area of User Modeling…

The History and Future of the Southern Bible Institute: A Post-Secondary School of Biblical Studies for African Americans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooks, Michael

2010-01-01

The United States of America has a long history in higher education, but one area of its history not exhausted through research involves higher education for African Americans. Specifically, higher education for African Americans in the area of theology or biblical studies presents numerous opportunities for further research. Soon after the…

Publications in acoustic and noise control from NASA Langley Research Center during 1940-1979. [bibliographies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fryer, B. A. (Compiler)

1980-01-01

Reference lists of approximately 900 published Langley Research Center reports in various areas of acoustics and noise control for the period 1940-1979 are presented. Specific topic areas covered include: duct acoustics; propagation and operations; rotating blade noise; jet noise; sonic boom; flow surface interaction noise; structural response/interior noise; human response; and noise prediction.

Does the Direction in Which a Figure Is Looking Influence Whether It Is Visible?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGuigan, Nicola

2009-01-01

Previous studies have shown that young preschool children are highly sensitive to mutual engagement and struggle to diagnose the visibility of a figure when their facial area is occluded. The present study aimed to explore the specificity of engagement by varying (a) the orientation of a figure relative to an observer and (b) the visible area of…

Teaching about War, Peace, Conflict and Change: A Self-Assessment and Planning Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Ministries in Education, Valley Forge, PA.

A guide to help colleges examine teaching and inquiry in the area of war, peace, conflict, and change is presented. The self-study of educational activities may be coordinated by the campus minister or a faculty member. The following broad areas of inquiry are identified, along with specific questions: international conflict, the U.S. role in…

Measuring sustainable development using a multi-criteria model: a case study.

PubMed

Boggia, Antonio; Cortina, Carla

2010-11-01

This paper shows how Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) can help in a complex process such as the assessment of the level of sustainability of a certain area. The paper presents the results of a study in which a model for measuring sustainability was implemented to better aid public policy decisions regarding sustainability. In order to assess sustainability in specific areas, a methodological approach based on multi-criteria analysis has been developed. The aim is to rank areas in order to understand the specific technical and/or financial support that they need to develop sustainable growth. The case study presented is an assessment of the level of sustainability in different areas of an Italian Region using the MCDA approach. Our results show that MCDA is a proper approach for sustainability assessment. The results are easy to understand and the evaluation path is clear and transparent. This is what decision makers need for having support to their decisions. The multi-criteria model for evaluation has been developed respecting the sustainable development economic theory, so that final results can have a clear meaning in terms of sustainability. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Reducing inequality by improving preventing measures].

PubMed

Valsecchi, M

2014-01-01

Terms of inequalities issue in health service are defined and the consolidated scientific acquisitions are recalled. Three prioritary areas of action are defined and described, that Prevention Departments are suggested to activate through focused programs in order to reduce specific inequalities. First area of action: includes three types of vital interventions: vaccinations, contrasting of tuberculosis infection and oncological screening that have to be granted to specific disadvantaged groups of population as Rom communities, immigrant women, prisoners e psychiatric patients. Second area of action: actions on focused urban planning aiming to improve conditions of social housing (with a special focus on thermal insulation, minimal distances to be kept towards streets of havy traffic), increase of increase of urban green spaces enjoyed by the population and contrasting degradation of housing (with particular attention to poisoning by carbon monoxide). Third area of action: actions contrasting cardiovascular diseases, that is the leading cause of death and inequalities in health for the working class population. A coordinated intervention directly in the workplace is proposed, where a particularly high percentage of individuals exposed to specific risk factors is present.

Loading estimates of lead, copper, cadmium, and zinc in urban runoff from specific sources.

PubMed

Davis, A P; Shokouhian, M; Ni, S

2001-08-01

Urban stormwater runoff is being recognized as a substantial source of pollutants to receiving waters. A number of investigators have found significant levels of metals in runoff from urban areas, especially in highway runoff. As an initiatory study, this work estimates lead, copper, cadmium, and zinc loadings from various sources in a developed area utilizing information available in the literature, in conjunction with controlled experimental and sampling investigations. Specific sources examined include building siding and roofs; automobile brakes, tires, and oil leakage; and wet and dry atmospheric deposition. Important sources identified are building siding for all four metals, vehicle brake emissions for copper and tire wear for zinc. Atmospheric deposition is an important source for cadmium, copper, and lead. Loadings and source distributions depend on building and automobile density assumptions and the type of materials present in the area examined. Identified important sources are targeted for future comprehensive mechanistic studies. Improved information on the metal release and distributions from the specific sources, along with detailed characterization of watershed areas will allow refinements in the predictions.

Spatial variability of specific surface area of arable soils in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokolowski, S.; Sokolowska, Z.; Usowicz, B.

2012-04-01

Evaluation of soil spatial variability is an important issue in agrophysics and in environmental research. Knowledge of spatial variability of physico-chemical properties enables a better understanding of several processes that take place in soils. In particular, it is well known that mineralogical, organic, as well as particle-size compositions of soils vary in a wide range. Specific surface area of soils is one of the most significant characteristics of soils. It can be not only related to the type of soil, mainly to the content of clay, but also largely determines several physical and chemical properties of soils and is often used as a controlling factor in numerous biological processes. Knowledge of the specific surface area is necessary in calculating certain basic soil characteristics, such as the dielectric permeability of soil, water retention curve, water transport in the soil, cation exchange capacity and pesticide adsorption. The aim of the present study is two-fold. First, we carry out recognition of soil total specific surface area patterns in the territory of Poland and perform the investigation of features of its spatial variability. Next, semivariograms and fractal analysis are used to characterize and compare the spatial variability of soil specific surface area in two soil horizons (A and B). Specific surface area of about 1000 samples was determined by analyzing water vapor adsorption isotherms via the BET method. The collected data of the values of specific surface area of mineral soil representatives for the territory of Poland were then used to describe its spatial variability by employing geostatistical techniques and fractal theory. Using the data calculated for some selected points within the entire territory and along selected directions, the values of semivariance were determined. The slope of the regression line of the log-log plot of semi-variance versus the distance was used to estimate the fractal dimension, D. Specific surface area in A and B horizons was space-dependent, with the range of spatial dependence of about 2.5°. Variogram surfaces showed anisotropy of the specific surface area in both horizons with a trend toward the W to E directions. The smallest fractal dimensions were obtained for W to E directions and the highest values - for S to N directions. * The work was financially supported in part by the ESA Programme for European Cooperating States (PECS), No.98084 "SWEX-R, Soil Water and Energy Exchange/Research", AO3275.

Why SRS Matters - Tritium

ScienceCinema

Howell, Steve; Schifer, Lee

2018-01-16

A video series presenting an overview of the Savannah River Site’s (SRS) mission and operations. Each episode features a specific area/operation and how it contributes to help make the world safer.

The Transport of Ions Across Plant Cell Membranes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, D. A.

1981-01-01

Presented is one of a series of articles designed to help science teachers keep current on ideas in specific areas of biology. This article provides information about ion transport in plant cells. (PB)

Semantic domain-specific functional integration for action-related vs. abstract concepts.

PubMed

Ghio, Marta; Tettamanti, Marco

2010-03-01

A central topic in cognitive neuroscience concerns the representation of concepts and the specific neural mechanisms that mediate conceptual knowledge. Recently proposed modal theories assert that concepts are grounded on the integration of multimodal, distributed representations. The aim of the present work is to complement the available neuropsychological and neuroimaging evidence suggesting partially segregated anatomo-functional correlates for concrete vs. abstract concepts, by directly testing the semantic domain-specific patterns of functional integration between language and modal semantic brain regions. We report evidence from a functional magnetic resonance imaging study, in which healthy participants listened to sentences with either an action-related (actions involving physical entities) or an abstract (no physical entities involved) content. We measured functional integration using dynamic causal modeling, and found that the left superior temporal gyrus was more strongly connected: (1) for action-related vs. abstract sentences, with the left-hemispheric action representation system, including sensorimotor areas; (2) for abstract vs. action-related sentences, with left infero-ventral frontal, temporal, and retrosplenial cingulate areas. A selective directionality effect was observed, with causal modulatory effects exerted by perisylvian language regions on peripheral modal areas, and not vice versa. The observed condition-specific modulatory effects are consistent with embodied and situated language processing theories, and indicate that linguistic areas promote a semantic content-specific reactivation of modal simulations by top-down mechanisms. Copyright 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of porous NiO/CeO2 hybrid nanoflake arrays as a platform for electrochemical biosensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Jiewu; Luo, Jinbao; Peng, Bangguo; Zhang, Xinyi; Zhang, Yong; Wang, Yan; Qin, Yongqiang; Zheng, Hongmei; Shu, Xia; Wu, Yucheng

2015-12-01

Porous NiO/CeO2 hybrid nanoflake arrays fabricated by a facile hydrothermal method were employed as substrates for electrochemical biosensors. The resulting NiO/CeO2 hybrid nanoflake arrays with a large specific surface area and good biocompatibility presented an excellent platform for electrochemical biosensing.Porous NiO/CeO2 hybrid nanoflake arrays fabricated by a facile hydrothermal method were employed as substrates for electrochemical biosensors. The resulting NiO/CeO2 hybrid nanoflake arrays with a large specific surface area and good biocompatibility presented an excellent platform for electrochemical biosensing. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Optical photographs of the as-prepared samples, SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD and BET data of the samples are presented, I-t curves of glucose biosensors based on NiO and NiO/CeO2 NFAs, EIS results of different electrodes. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr05924k

An Integrated Curriculum for Kindergarten/First Grade Children Utilizing Project Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Yuehkuei

An integrated curriculum allows children's learning in all traditional subject areas to occur primarily through projects that the teachers plan and that reflect children's interests. This paper presents a curriculum web on Chinese festivals, specifically, the Chinese New Year, for kindergarten and first grade levels. The paper first presents a…

Estimating total forest biomass in New York, 1993

Treesearch

Eric Wharton; Carol Alerich; David A. Drake; David A. Drake

1997-01-01

Presents methods for synthesizing information from existing biomass literature for estimating biomass over extensive forest areas with specific applications to New York. Tables of appropriate regression equations and the tree and shrub species to which these equations can be applied are presented well as biomass estimates at the county, geographic unit, and state level...

Using the Ultimatum Game to Teach Economic Theories of Relationship Maintenance to A-Level Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Simon

2011-01-01

When teaching at A-level, educators often present a model of psychology that does not extend beyond the confines of the specification. However, sometimes not only is it possible to provide insight into other areas of psychology, it provides a novel way of understanding a concept included in the specification itself. By extending student's…

Proceedings: Nozzle Initiative Industry Advisory Committee on Standardization of Carbon-Phenolic Test Methods and Specifications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The proceedings of the meeting is presented in conversational form. Some areas of discussion are as follow: resin advancement at NASA Marshall new technologies studies; NMR studies; SPIP/PAN development summary; computer modeling support; composite testing; carbon assay testing; activity and aerospace computer database; alternate rayon yarn sizing; fiber morphology; and carbon microballoons specifications.

Environmental geology: Our professional public responsibility

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gerhard, L.C.; Brady, L.L.

1999-01-01

Conflicts between different interest groups for use of natural resources is one area where state geological surveys can provide assistance. A state geological survey working within the scientific constraints of specific issues can remain objective in its presentations and maintain the faith of both the conflicting interest groups and the public. One cannot vary from the objective view or you will quickly be criticized. Criticism can still occur from one side of a natural resource issue as your data might counter their views. However, the final decisions are almost always made in some legislators, or regulators, area of responsibility. The responsibility of the state geological survey is to provide the important data that will assist in making correct decisions. Should one party in the conflict become extreme in their demands, a potential compromise that is beneficial to both sides can be lost. In Kansas, the classical natural resource problem of resource/recreation in a populated area is presented as a case study. The state geological survey presented data on sand resources in the Kansas River and its valley in northeast Kansas. That information was important to both recreation and dredging interests where the political problem is a conflict of sand use as a construction material resource versus use of the alluvial river as an important recreation area, especially for canoeing. However, when a reasonable compromise was near completion in the Kansas Legislature one side, in a bold move to develop an advantage, ruined that potential for compromise.Conflicts between different interest groups for use of natural resources is one area where state geological surveys can provide assistance. A state geological survey working within the scientific constraints of specific issues can remain objective in its presentations and maintain the faith of both the conflicting interest groups and the public. In Kansas, the classical natural resource problem of resource/recreation in a populated area is presented as a case study. The state geological survey presented data on sand resources in the Kansas River and its valley in northeast Kansas. That information was important to both recreation and dredging interests.

Sensitivity and specificity of the circulating cathodic antigen rapid urine test in the diagnosis of Schistosomiasis mansoni infection and evaluation of morbidity in a low- endemic area in Brazil.

PubMed

Ferreira, Fernanda Teixeira; Fidelis, Thiago André; Pereira, Thiago Almeida; Otoni, Alba; Queiroz, Leonardo Campos; Amâncio, Frederico Figueiredo; Antunes, Carlos Maurício; Lambertucci, José Roberto

2017-01-01

The Kato-Katz technique is the standard diagnostic test for Schistosoma mansoni infection in rural areas. However, the utility of this method is severely limited by the day-to-day variability in host egg excretion in the stool. In high-transmission areas, the point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) urine assay has proven to be a reliable test. However, investigations of the reliability of the POC-CCA assay in low-transmission regions are under way. This study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the POC-CCA assay and the morbidity of schistosomiasis in a low-endemic area in Brazil. Pains City is a low-transmission zone for schistosomiasis. A total of 300 subjects aged 7-76 years were randomly selected for the POC-CCA cassette test. For S. mansoni diagnosis, three stool samples on six slides were compared with one urine sample for each subject. The sensitivity and specificity in the absence of a gold standard were calculated using latent class analysis. Clinical examinations and abdominal ultrasounds were performed in 181 volunteers to evaluate morbidity associated with schistosomiasis. The sensitivity and specificity of the Kato-Katz technique were 25.6% and 94.6%, respectively. By contrast, the sensitivity and specificity of the POC-CCA assay were 68.1% and 72.8%, respectively. Hepatosplenic schistosomiasis was diagnosed in two patients (1.1%). Overall, the POC-CCA urine assay proved to be a useful test for diagnosing S. mansoni in a low-endemic area in Brazil. Severe clinical forms of schistosomiasis can be present even in such low-endemic areas.

Neutral buoyancy testing of architectural and environmental concepts of space vehicle design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lenda, J. A.; Rosener, A. A.; Stephenson, M. L.

1972-01-01

Design guidelines are presented that are applicable to providing habitability areas and furniture elements for extended periods in a zero gravity environment. This was accomplished by: (1) analyzing the existing habitability crew area requirements, mobility and restraint aids, cross-cultural design, and establishing a man model for zero gravity; (2) designing specific furniture elements, chair and table, and volumes for a stateroom, office, bathroom, galley, and wardroom; and (3) neutral buoyancy testing and evaluation of these areas.

Internal dosimetry monitoring equipment: Present and future

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Selby, J.; Carbaugh, E.H.; Lynch, T.P.

1993-09-01

We have attempted to characterize the current and future status of in vivo and in vitro measurement programs coupled with the associated radioanalytical methods and workplace monitoring. Developments in these areas must be carefully integrated by internal dosimetrists, radiochemists and field health physicists. Their goal should be uniform improvement rather than to focus on one specific area (e.g., dose modeling) to the neglect of other areas where the measurement capabilities are substantially less sophisticated and, therefore, the potential source of error is greatest.

Space station: The role of software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, D.

1985-01-01

Software will play a critical role throughout the Space Station Program. This presentation sets the stage and prompts participant interaction at the Software Issues Forum. The presentation is structured into three major topics: (1) an overview of the concept and status of the Space Station Program; (2) several charts designed to lay out the scope and role of software; and (3) information addressing the four specific areas selected for focus at the forum, specifically: software management, the software development environment, languages, and standards. NASA's current thinking is highlighted and some of the relevant critical issues are raised.

On the Size Dependence of Molar and Specific Properties of Independent Nano-phases and Those in Contact with Other Phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaptay, George

2018-05-01

Nano-materials are materials with at least one nano-phase. A nano-phase is a phase with at least one of its dimensions below 100 nm. It is shown here that nano-phases have at least 1% of their atoms along their surface layer. The ratio of surface atoms is proportional to the specific surface area of the phase, defined as the ratio of its surface area to its volume. Each specific/molar property has its bulk value and its surface value for the given phase, being always different, as the energetic states of the atoms in the bulk and in the surface layer of a phase are different. The average specific/molar property of a nano-phase is modeled here as a linear combination of the bulk and surface values of the same property, scaled with the ratio of the surface atoms. That makes the performance of all nano-phases proportional to their specific surface area. As the characteristic size of the nano-phase is inversely proportional to its specific surface area, all specific/molar properties of nano-phases are inversely proportional to the characteristic size of the phase. This is applied to the size dependence of the molar Gibbs energy of the nano-phase, which appears to be in agreement with the thermodynamics of Gibbs. This agreement proves the general validity of the present model on the size dependence of the specific/molar properties of independent nano-phases. It is shown that the properties of nano-phases are different for independent nano-phases (surrounded only by their equilibrium vapor phase) and for nano-phases in multi-phase situations, such as a liquid nano-droplet in the sessile drop configuration.

High Energy Astrophysics with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hays, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews some of the findings of the Large Area Telescope (LAT) aboard the Fermi Observatory. It includes information about the LAT, and the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM), detection of the quiet sun and the moon in gamma rays, Pulsars observed by the observatory, Globular Star Clusters, Active Galactic Nucleus, and Gamma-Ray Bursts, with specific information about GRB 080916C.

Space science to the twenty-first century and the technological implications for implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herman, D. H.

1979-01-01

The paper presents the specific plan for NASA space science missions to the 21st century and highlights the major technological advances that must be effected to accomplish the planned missions. Separate consideration is given to plans for astrophysics, planetary exploration, the solar terrestrial area, and life sciences. The technological consequences of the plans in these separate areas are discussed.

Development of techniques for producing static strata maps and development of photointerpretation methods based on multitemporal LANDSAT data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colwell, R. N. (Principal Investigator); Hay, C. M.; Thomas, R. W.; Benson, A. S.

1976-01-01

The progress of research conducted in support of the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE) is documented. Specific tasks include (1) evaluation of the static stratification procedure and modification of that procedure if warranted, and (2) the development of alternative photointerpretative techniques to the present LACIE procedures for the identification and selection of training fields (areas).

Enhancement of the antimicrobial properties of orthorhombic molybdenum trioxide by thermal induced fracturing of the hydrates.

PubMed

Shafaei, Shahram; Van Opdenbosch, Daniel; Fey, Tobias; Koch, Marcus; Kraus, Tobias; Guggenbichler, Josef Peter; Zollfrank, Cordt

2016-01-01

The oxides of the transition metal molybdenum exhibit excellent antimicrobial properties. We present the preparation of molybdenum trioxide dihydrate (MoO3 × 2H2O) by an acidification method and demonstrate the thermal phase development and morphological evolution during and after calcination from 25 °C to 600 °C. The thermal dehydration of the material was found to proceed in two steps. Microbiological roll-on tests using Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were performed and exceptional antimicrobial activities were determined for anhydrous samples with orthorhombic lattice symmetry and a large specific surface area. The increase in the specific surface area is due to crack formation and to the loss of the hydrate water after calcination at 300 °C. The results support the proposed antimicrobial mechanism for transition metal oxides, which based on a local acidity increase as a consequence of the augmented specific surface area. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Space Flight Immunodeficiency

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shearer, William T.

1999-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has had sufficient concern for the well-being of astronauts traveling in space to create the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), which is investigating several areas of biomedical research including those of immunology. As part of the Immunology, Infection, and Hematology Team, the co-investigators of the Space Flight Immunodeficiency Project began their research projects on April 1, 1998 and are now just into the second year of work. Two areas of research have been targeted: 1) specific immune (especially antibody) responses and 2) non-specific inflammation and adhesion. More precise knowledge of these two areas of research will help elucidate the potential harmful effects of space travel on the immune system, possibly sufficient to create a secondary state of immunodeficiency in astronauts. The results of these experiments are likely to lead to the delineation of functional alterations in antigen presentation, specific immune memory, cytokine regulation of immune responses, cell to cell interactions, and cell to endothelium interactions.

Flight experiments to improve terminal area operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salmirs, S.; Morello, S. A.

1978-01-01

A brief description is given of the objectives and activities of the terminal configured vehicle (TCV) program and of some of the airborne facilities. A short analysis of some particular problems of CTOL operations in the terminal area is also presented to show how the program's technical objectives are related to the defined problems. The test aircraft was flown both manually and automatically with manual monitoring over paths including 130 deg intercepts and 2.0 km (1.1. n. mi.) and 0.8 km (0.44 n. mi.) finals. Some statistical data are presented from these and other flight profiles designed to address specific terminal in the next biennium and their application to the terminal area. A description of work being undertaken to study the addition of adjacent traffic information to present map displays is also given.

Distinct cortical areas for names of numbers and body parts independent of language and input modality.

PubMed

Le Clec'H, G; Dehaene, S; Cohen, L; Mehler, J; Dupoux, E; Poline, J B; Lehéricy, S; van de Moortele, P F; Le Bihan, D

2000-10-01

Some models of word comprehension postulate that the processing of words presented in different modalities and languages ultimately converges toward common cerebral systems associated with semantic-level processing and that the localization of these systems may vary with the category of semantic knowledge being accessed. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate this hypothesis with two categories of words, numerals, and body parts, for which the existence of distinct category-specific areas is debated in neuropsychology. Across two experiments, one with a blocked design and the other with an event-related design, a reproducible set of left-hemispheric parietal and prefrontal areas showed greater activation during the manipulation of topographical knowledge about body parts and a right-hemispheric parietal network during the manipulation of numerical quantities. These results complement the existing neuropsychological and brain-imaging literature by suggesting that within the extensive network of bilateral parietal regions active during both number and body-part processing, a subset shows category-specific responses independent of the language and modality of presentation. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Digital devices: big challenge in color management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vauderwange, Oliver; Curticapean, Dan; Dreβler, Paul; Wozniak, Peter

2014-09-01

The paper will present how the students learn to find technical solutions in color management by using adequate digital devices and recognize the specific upcoming tasks in this area. Several issues, problems and their solutions will be discussed. The scientific background offer specific didactical solutions in this area of optics. Color management is the major item of this paper. Color management is a crucial responsibility for media engineers and designers. Print, screen and mobile applications must independently display the same colors. Predictability and consistency in the color representation are the aims of a color management system. This is only possible in a standardized and audited production workflow. Nowadays digital media have a fast-paced development process. An increasing number of different digital devices with different display sizes and display technologies are a great challenge for every color management system. The authors will present their experience in the field of color management. The design and development of a suitable learning environment with the required infrastructure is in the focus. The combination of theoretical and practical lectures creates a deeper understanding in the area of the digital color representation.

Statistical summaries of water-quality data for two coal areas of Jackson County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuhn, Gerhard

1982-01-01

Statistical summaries of water-quality data are compiled for eight streams in two separate coal areas of Jackson County, Colo. The quality-of-water data were collected from October 1976 to September 1980. For inorganic constituents, the maximum, minimum, and mean concentrations, as well as other statistics are presented; for minor elements, only the maximum, minimum, and mean values are included. Least-squares equations (regressions) are also given relating specific conductance of the streams to the concentration of the major ions. The observed range of specific conductance was 85 to 1,150 micromhos per centimeter for the eight sites. (USGS)

Currently important animal disease management issues in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Thomson, G R

2009-03-01

The present international approach to management of transboundary animal diseases (TADs) is based on the assumption that most can be eradicated; consequently, that is the usual objective adopted by international organizations concerned with animal health. However, for sub-Saharan Africa and southern Africa more particularly, eradication of most TADs is impossible for the foreseeable future for a variety of technical, financial and logistical reasons. Compounding this, the present basis for access to international markets for products derived from animals requires that the area of origin (country or zone) is free from trade-influencing TADs. The ongoing development of transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs), extending across huge areas of southern Africa, therefore presents a development conundrum because it makes creation of geographic areas free from TADs more difficult and brings development based on wildlife conservation on the one hand and that based on livestock production on the other into sharp conflict. Sub-Saharan Africa is consequently confronted by a complex problem that contributes significantly to retarded rural development which, in turn, impedes poverty alleviation. In southern Africa specifically, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) presents the greatest problem in relation to access to international markets for animal products. However, it is argued that this problem could be overcome by a combination between (1) implementation of a commodity-based approach to trade in products derived from animals and (2) amendment of the international standards for FMD specifically (i.e. the FMD chapter in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health [OIE]) so that occurrence of SAT serotype viruses in free-living African buffalo need not necessarily mean exclusion of areas where buffalo occur from international markets for animal products. This would overcome a presently intractable constraint to market access for southern African countries and enable conservation and livestock production to be more effectively integrated, to the benefit of both.

Does erotic stimulus presentation design affect brain activation patterns? Event-related vs. blocked fMRI designs.

PubMed

Bühler, Mira; Vollstädt-Klein, Sabine; Klemen, Jane; Smolka, Michael N

2008-07-22

Existing brain imaging studies, investigating sexual arousal via the presentation of erotic pictures or film excerpts, have mainly used blocked designs with long stimulus presentation times. To clarify how experimental functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) design affects stimulus-induced brain activity, we compared brief event-related presentation of erotic vs. neutral stimuli with blocked presentation in 10 male volunteers. Brain activation differed depending on design type in only 10% of the voxels showing task related brain activity. Differences between blocked and event-related stimulus presentation were found in occipitotemporal and temporal regions (Brodmann Area (BA) 19, 37, 48), parietal areas (BA 7, 40) and areas in the frontal lobe (BA 6, 44). Our results suggest that event-related designs might be a potential alternative when the core interest is the detection of networks associated with immediate processing of erotic stimuli.Additionally, blocked, compared to event-related, stimulus presentation allows the emergence and detection of non-specific secondary processes, such as sustained attention, motor imagery and inhibition of sexual arousal.

Does erotic stimulus presentation design affect brain activation patterns? Event-related vs. blocked fMRI designs

PubMed Central

Bühler, Mira; Vollstädt-Klein, Sabine; Klemen, Jane; Smolka, Michael N

2008-01-01

Background Existing brain imaging studies, investigating sexual arousal via the presentation of erotic pictures or film excerpts, have mainly used blocked designs with long stimulus presentation times. Methods To clarify how experimental functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) design affects stimulus-induced brain activity, we compared brief event-related presentation of erotic vs. neutral stimuli with blocked presentation in 10 male volunteers. Results Brain activation differed depending on design type in only 10% of the voxels showing task related brain activity. Differences between blocked and event-related stimulus presentation were found in occipitotemporal and temporal regions (Brodmann Area (BA) 19, 37, 48), parietal areas (BA 7, 40) and areas in the frontal lobe (BA 6, 44). Conclusion Our results suggest that event-related designs might be a potential alternative when the core interest is the detection of networks associated with immediate processing of erotic stimuli. Additionally, blocked, compared to event-related, stimulus presentation allows the emergence and detection of non-specific secondary processes, such as sustained attention, motor imagery and inhibition of sexual arousal. PMID:18647397

Envelopes in eclipsing binary stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, S.

1972-01-01

Theoretical research on eclipsing binaries is presented. The specific areas of investigation are the following: (1) the relevance of envelopes to the study of the light curves of eclipsing binaries, (2) the disk envelope, and (3) the spherical envelope.

Parental Involvement in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackstone, Tessa

1979-01-01

Arguments in favor of increased parental involvement, particularly in nursery education, are presented. Opposition to participation from parents and teachers is discussed and specific areas in which cooperation might be possible are suggested along with different levels of participation. (JMF)

How Plants Make Light Work of Growth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kendrick, R. E.

1981-01-01

Presented is one of a series of articles designed to help science teachers keep current on ideas in specific areas in biology. Contained is information on how plants use light for growth, seed germination, and flowering. (PB)

Feasibility study of a pressure-fed engine for a water recoverable space shuttle booster. Volume 3, part 1: Program acquisition planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, C. D.

1972-01-01

Planning documentation is presented covering the specific areas of project engineering and development, management, facilities, manufacturing, logistic support maintenance, and test and product assurance.

Experimental performance of a high-area-ratio rocket nozzle at high combustion chamber pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jankovsky, Robert S.; Kazaroff, John M.; Pavli, Albert J.

1996-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the thrust coefficient of a high-area-ratio rocket nozzle at combustion chamber pressures of 12.4 to 16.5 MPa (1800 to 2400 psia). A nozzle with a modified Rao contour and an expansion area ratio of 1025:1 was tested with hydrogen and oxygen at altitude conditions. The same nozzle, truncated to an area ratio of 440:1, was also tested. Values of thrust coefficient are presented along with characteristic exhaust velocity efficiencies, nozzle wall temperatures, and overall thruster specific impulse.

Antenna Technologies for NASA Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miranda, Felix

2007-01-01

This presentation addresses the efforts being performed at GRC to develop antenna technology in support of NASA s Exploration Vision. In particular, the presentation discusses the communications architecture asset-specific data services, as well as wide area coverage, high gain, low mass deployable antennas. Phased array antennas as well as electrically small, lightweight, low power, multifunctional antennas will be also discussed.

Antenna Technologies for NASA Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miranda, Felix A.

2006-01-01

This presentation addresses the efforts being performed at GRC to develop antenna technology in support of NASA s Exploration Vision. In particular, the presentation discusses the communications architecture asset-specific data services, as well as wide area coverage, high gain, low mass deployable antennas. Phased array antennas as well as electrically small, lightweight, low power, multifunctional antennas will be also discussed.

Discussion on the progress and future of satellite communication (Japan)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ogata, M.; Mizusawa, H.; Irie, K.

1985-01-01

The current status of communications satellite development in Japan is presented. It is shown that beginning with research on satellite communucations in the late 1950's, progress was made in the areas of communications, remote sensing, and technology experimentation. The current status of communication satellites is presented, stressing development in the areas of CFRP construction elements, the use of LSI and MIC circuits, advanced multibeam antenna systems, Ku and Ka band transmission systems, and the shift to small-scale earth stations. Methods for reducing costs and increasing transmission efficiency are shown. The technical specifications of all satellite projects currently under development are given. Users of Japanese communications satellite are presented.

Overview of energy-conservation research opportunities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hopp, W.J.; Hauser, S.G.; Hane, G.J.

1981-12-01

This document is a study of research opportunities that are important to developing advanced technologies for efficient energy use. The study's purpose is to describe a wide array of attractive technical areas from which specific research and development programs could be implemented. Research areas are presented for potential application in each of the major end-use sectors. The study develops and applies a systematic approach to identifying and screening applied energy conservation research opportunities. To broadly cover the energy end-use sectors, this study develops useful information relating to the areas where federally-funded applied research will most likely play an important rolemore » in promoting energy conservation. This study is not designed to produce a detailed agenda of specific recommended research activities. The general information presented allows uniform comparisons of disparate research areas and as such provides the basis for formulating a cost-effective, comprehensive federal-applied energy conservation research strategy. Chapter 2 discusses the various methodologies that have been used in the past to identify research opportunities and details the approach used here. In Chapters 3, 4, and 5 the methodology is applied to the buildings, transportation, and industrial end-use sectors and the opportunities for applied research in these sectors are discussed.Chapter 6 synthesizes the results of the previous three chapters to give a comprehensive picture of applied energy conservation research opportunities across all end-use sectors and presents the conclusions to the report.« less

Selective memory retrieval of auditory what and auditory where involves the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex.

PubMed

Kostopoulos, Penelope; Petrides, Michael

2016-02-16

There is evidence from the visual, verbal, and tactile memory domains that the midventrolateral prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in the top-down modulation of activity within posterior cortical areas for the selective retrieval of specific aspects of a memorized experience, a functional process often referred to as active controlled retrieval. In the present functional neuroimaging study, we explore the neural bases of active retrieval for auditory nonverbal information, about which almost nothing is known. Human participants were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a task in which they were presented with short melodies from different locations in a simulated virtual acoustic environment within the scanner and were then instructed to retrieve selectively either the particular melody presented or its location. There were significant activity increases specifically within the midventrolateral prefrontal region during the selective retrieval of nonverbal auditory information. During the selective retrieval of information from auditory memory, the right midventrolateral prefrontal region increased its interaction with the auditory temporal region and the inferior parietal lobule in the right hemisphere. These findings provide evidence that the midventrolateral prefrontal cortical region interacts with specific posterior cortical areas in the human cerebral cortex for the selective retrieval of object and location features of an auditory memory experience.

Facile synthesis of birnessite-type manganese oxide nanoparticles as supercapacitor electrode materials.

PubMed

Liu, Lihu; Luo, Yao; Tan, Wenfeng; Zhang, Yashan; Liu, Fan; Qiu, Guohong

2016-11-15

Manganese oxides are environmentally benign supercapacitor electrode materials and, in particular, birnessite-type structure shows very promising electrochemical performance. In this work, nanostructured birnessite was facilely prepared by adding dropwise NH2OH·HCl to KMnO4 solution under ambient temperature and pressure. In order to fully exploit the potential of birnessite-type manganese oxide electrode materials, the effects of specific surface area, pore size, content of K(+), and manganese average oxidation state (Mn AOS) on their electrochemical performance were studied. The results showed that with the increase of NH2OH·HCl, the Mn AOS decreased and the corresponding pore sizes and specific surface area of birnessite increased. The synthesized nanostructured birnessite showed the highest specific capacitance of 245Fg(-1) at a current density of 0.1Ag(-1) within a potential range of 0-0.9V, and excellent cycle stability with a capacitance retention rate of 92% after 3000 cycles at a current density of 1.0Ag(-1). The present work implies that specific capacitance is mainly affected by specific surface area and pore volume, and provides a new method for the facile preparation of birnessite-type manganese oxide with excellent capacitive performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimal Area Profiles for Ideal Single Nozzle Air-Breathing Pulse Detonation Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.

2003-01-01

The effects of cross-sectional area variation on idealized Pulse Detonation Engine performance are examined numerically. A quasi-one-dimensional, reacting, numerical code is used as the kernel of an algorithm that iteratively determines the correct sequencing of inlet air, inlet fuel, detonation initiation, and cycle time to achieve a limit cycle with specified fuel fraction, and volumetric purge fraction. The algorithm is exercised on a tube with a cross sectional area profile containing two degrees of freedom: overall exit-to-inlet area ratio, and the distance along the tube at which continuous transition from inlet to exit area begins. These two parameters are varied over three flight conditions (defined by inlet total temperature, inlet total pressure and ambient static pressure) and the performance is compared to a straight tube. It is shown that compared to straight tubes, increases of 20 to 35 percent in specific impulse and specific thrust are obtained with tubes of relatively modest area change. The iterative algorithm is described, and its limitations are noted and discussed. Optimized results are presented showing performance measurements, wave diagrams, and area profiles. Suggestions for future investigation are also discussed.

Ten Commandments for Microcomputer Facility Planners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Espinosa, Leonard J.

1991-01-01

Presents factors involved in designing a microcomputer facility, including how computers will be used in the instructional program; educational specifications; planning committees; user input; quality of purchases; visual supervision considerations; location; workstation design; turnkey systems; electrical requirements; local area networks;…

Why SRS Matters - Introduction

ScienceCinema

Hunt, Paul

2018-01-16

A video series presenting an overview of the Savannah River Site's (SRS) mission and operations. Each episode features a specific area/operation and how it contributes to help make the world safer. This episode provides an introduction to the SRS mission and operations.

Overview of NASA GRC's Efforts In SWBLI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Long-Davis, Mary Jo

2017-01-01

Overview of NASA Efforts (related to SWBLI research) An overview of NASA's restructured ARMD Program and the resulting new projects. Areas of research pertaining to shock wave boundary layer interaction are highlighted. Plans and status for specific tasks are presented.

Developing Database Files for Student Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Michael

1988-01-01

Presents guidelines for creating student database files that supplement classroom teaching. Highlights include determining educational objectives, planning the database with computer specialists and subject area specialists, data entry, and creating student worksheets. Specific examples concerning elements of the periodic table and…

Searching for ``Preparation for Future Learning'' in Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Etkina, Eugenia; Gentile, Michael; Karelina, Anna; Ruibal-Villasenor, Maria R.; Suran, Gregory

2009-11-01

"Preparation for future learning" is a term describing a new approach to transfer. In addition to focusing on learning environments that help students better apply developed knowledge in new situations; education researchers are searching for educational interventions that better prepare students to learn new information. The pioneering studies in this field were conducted by J. Branford and D. Schwartz in psychology and mathematics, specifically in the area of statistics. They found that students who engaged in innovation before being exposed to new material, learned better. We attempted to replicate their experiments in the field of physics, specifically in the area of conductivity. Using two experimental conditions and one control, we compared student learning of thermal and electrical conductivity from a written text. We present the results of groups' performance on seven qualitative questions after their learning in this area.

A detailed description of the uncertainty analysis for high area ratio rocket nozzle tests at the NASA Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidian, Kenneth J.; Dieck, Ronald H.; Chuang, Isaac

1987-01-01

A preliminary uncertainty analysis was performed for the High Area Ratio Rocket Nozzle test program which took place at the altitude test capsule of the Rocket Engine Test Facility at the NASA Lewis Research Center. Results from the study establish the uncertainty of measured and calculated parameters required for the calculation of rocket engine specific impulse. A generalized description of the uncertainty methodology used is provided. Specific equations and a detailed description of the analysis is presented. Verification of the uncertainty analysis model was performed by comparison with results from the experimental program's data reduction code. Final results include an uncertainty for specific impulse of 1.30 percent. The largest contributors to this uncertainty were calibration errors from the test capsule pressure and thrust measurement devices.

A detailed description of the uncertainty analysis for High Area Ratio Rocket Nozzle tests at the NASA Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidian, Kenneth J.; Dieck, Ronald H.; Chuang, Isaac

1987-01-01

A preliminary uncertainty analysis has been performed for the High Area Ratio Rocket Nozzle test program which took place at the altitude test capsule of the Rocket Engine Test Facility at the NASA Lewis Research Center. Results from the study establish the uncertainty of measured and calculated parameters required for the calculation of rocket engine specific impulse. A generalized description of the uncertainty methodology used is provided. Specific equations and a detailed description of the analysis are presented. Verification of the uncertainty analysis model was performed by comparison with results from the experimental program's data reduction code. Final results include an uncertainty for specific impulse of 1.30 percent. The largest contributors to this uncertainty were calibration errors from the test capsule pressure and thrust measurement devices.

Improved E-ELT subsystem and component specifications, thanks to M1 test facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimmler, M.; Marrero, J.; Leveque, S.; Barriga, Pablo; Sedghi, B.; Kornweibel, N.

2014-07-01

During the last 2 years ESO has operated the "M1 Test Facility", a test stand consisting of a representative section of the E-ELT primary mirror equipped with 4 complete prototype segment subunits including sensors, actuators and control system. The purpose of the test facility is twofold: it serves to study and get familiar with component and system aspects like calibration, alignment and handling procedures and suitable control strategies on real hardware long before the primary mirror (hereafter M1) components are commissioned. Secondly, and of major benefit to the project, it offered the possibility to evaluate component and subsystem performance and interface issues in a system context in such detail, that issues could be identified early enough to feed back into the subsystem and component specifications. This considerably reduces risk and cost of the production units and allows refocusing the project team on important issues for the follow-up of the production contracts. Experiences are presented in which areas the results of the M1 Test Facility particularly helped to improve subsystem specifications and areas, where additional tests were adopted independent of the main test facility. Presented are the key experiences of the M1 Test Facility which lead to improved specifications or identified the need for additional testing outside of the M1 Test Facility.

Analysis of novel low specific speed pump designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klas, R.; Pochylý, F.; Rudolf, P.

2014-03-01

Centrifugal pumps with very low specific speed present significant design challenges. Narrow blade channels, large surface area of hub and shroud discs relative to the blade area, and the presence of significant of blade channel vortices are typical features linked with the difficulty to achieve head and efficiency requirements for such designs. This paper presents an investigation of two novel designs of very low specific speed impellers: impeller having blades with very thick trailing edges and impeller with thick trailing edges and recirculating channels, which are bored along the impeller circumference. Numerical simulations and experimental measurements were used to study the flow dynamics of those new designs. It was shown that thick trailing edges suppress local eddies in the blade channels and decrease energy dissipation due to excessive swirling. Furthermore the recirculating channels will increase the circumferential velocity component on impeller outlet thus increasing the specific energy, albeit adversely affecting the hydraulic efficiency. Analysis of the energy dissipation in the volute showed that the number of the recirculating channels, their geometry and location, all have significant impact on the magnitude of dissipated energy and its distribution which in turn influences the shape of the head curve and the stability of the pump operation. Energy dissipation within whole pump interior (blade channels, volute, rotor- stator gaps) was also studied.

Graph Theory and Brain Connectivity in Alzheimer's Disease.

PubMed

delEtoile, Jon; Adeli, Hojjat

2017-04-01

This article presents a review of recent advances in neuroscience research in the specific area of brain connectivity as a potential biomarker of Alzheimer's disease with a focus on the application of graph theory. The review will begin with a brief overview of connectivity and graph theory. Then resent advances in connectivity as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease will be presented and analyzed.

DEVELOPMENT OF PERMANENT MECHANICAL REPAIR SLEEVE FOR PLASTIC PIPE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hitesh Patadia

2005-04-29

The report presents a comprehensive summary of the prototype development process utilized towards the development of a permanent mechanical repair fitting intended to be installed on damaged PE mains under blowing gas conditions. Specifically, the step by step construction approach is presented and the experimental data to support the mitigation of ensuing slow crack growth (SCG) of the damage area.

Pieces of the Puzzle: Tracking the Chemical Component of the ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation provides an overview of the risk assessment conducted at the U.S. EPA, as well as some research examples related to the exposome concept. This presentation also provides the recommendation of using two organizational and predictive frameworks for tracking chemical components in the exposome. The National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Computational Exposure Division (CED) develops and evaluates data, decision-support tools, and models to be applied to media-specific or receptor-specific problem areas. CED uses modeling-based approaches to characterize exposures, evaluate fate and transport, and support environmental diagnostics/forensics with input from multiple data sources. It also develops media- and receptor-specific models, process models, and decision support tools for use both within and outside of EPA.

Lithium ion rechargeable systems studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, Samuel C.; Lasasse, Robert R.; Cygan, Randall T.; Voigt, James A.

Lithium ion systems, although relatively new, have attracted much interest worldwide. Their high energy density, long cycle life and relative safety, compared with metallic lithium rechargeable systems, make them prime candidates for powering portable electronic equipment. Although lithium ion cells are presently used in a few consumer devices, e.g., portable phones, camcorders, and laptop computers, there is room for considerable improvement in their performance. Specific areas that need to be addressed include: (1) carbon anode-increase reversible capacity, and minimize passivation; (2) cathode-extend cycle life, improve rate capability, and increase capacity. There are several programs ongoing at Sandia National Laboratories which are investigating means of achieving the stated objectives in these specific areas. This paper will review these programs.

Budget Anthropology: A Unit Sampler.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraker, G. Alan

Creative and inexpensive teaching suggestions for high school anthropology courses are presented. They are chosen specifically for programs which cannot afford expensive curriculum materials. All activities demonstrate the application of universal anthropological principles to the American society. Seven areas which reflect the general functions…

Welding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowan, Earl; And Others

The curriculum guide for welding instruction contains 16 units presented in six sections. Each unit is divided into the following areas, each of which is color coded: terminal objectives, specific objectives, suggested activities, and instructional materials; information sheet; transparency masters; assignment sheet; test; and test answers. The…

Introduction-Pediatric epilepsy surgery techniques.

PubMed

Rydenhag, Bertil; Cukiert, Arthur

2017-04-01

This supplement includes the proceedings from the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Techniques Meeting held in Gothenburg (July 4-5, 2014), which focused on presentations and discussions regarding specific surgical technical issues in pediatric epilepsy surgery. Pediatric epilepsy neurosurgeons from all over the world were present and active in very fruitful and live presentations and discussions. These articles represent a synopsis of the areas and subjects dealt with there. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

High Sensitivity Terahertz Detection through Large-Area Plasmonic Nano-Antenna Arrays.

PubMed

Yardimci, Nezih Tolga; Jarrahi, Mona

2017-02-16

Plasmonic photoconductive antennas have great promise for increasing responsivity and detection sensitivity of conventional photoconductive detectors in time-domain terahertz imaging and spectroscopy systems. However, operation bandwidth of previously demonstrated plasmonic photoconductive antennas has been limited by bandwidth constraints of their antennas and photoconductor parasitics. Here, we present a powerful technique for realizing broadband terahertz detectors through large-area plasmonic photoconductive nano-antenna arrays. A key novelty that makes the presented terahertz detector superior to the state-of-the art is a specific large-area device geometry that offers a strong interaction between the incident terahertz beam and optical pump at the nanoscale, while maintaining a broad operation bandwidth. The large device active area allows robust operation against optical and terahertz beam misalignments. We demonstrate broadband terahertz detection with signal-to-noise ratio levels as high as 107 dB.

High Sensitivity Terahertz Detection through Large-Area Plasmonic Nano-Antenna Arrays

PubMed Central

Yardimci, Nezih Tolga; Jarrahi, Mona

2017-01-01

Plasmonic photoconductive antennas have great promise for increasing responsivity and detection sensitivity of conventional photoconductive detectors in time-domain terahertz imaging and spectroscopy systems. However, operation bandwidth of previously demonstrated plasmonic photoconductive antennas has been limited by bandwidth constraints of their antennas and photoconductor parasitics. Here, we present a powerful technique for realizing broadband terahertz detectors through large-area plasmonic photoconductive nano-antenna arrays. A key novelty that makes the presented terahertz detector superior to the state-of-the art is a specific large-area device geometry that offers a strong interaction between the incident terahertz beam and optical pump at the nanoscale, while maintaining a broad operation bandwidth. The large device active area allows robust operation against optical and terahertz beam misalignments. We demonstrate broadband terahertz detection with signal-to-noise ratio levels as high as 107 dB. PMID:28205615

A METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE RADIALLY-AVERAGED EFFECTIVE IMPACT AREA FOR AN AIRCRAFT CRASH INTO A STRUCTURE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walker, William C.

This report presents a methodology for deriving the equations which can be used for calculating the radially-averaged effective impact area for a theoretical aircraft crash into a structure. Conventionally, a maximum effective impact area has been used in calculating the probability of an aircraft crash into a structure. Whereas the maximum effective impact area is specific to a single direction of flight, the radially-averaged effective impact area takes into consideration the real life random nature of the direction of flight with respect to a structure. Since the radially-averaged effective impact area is less than the maximum effective impact area, themore » resulting calculated probability of an aircraft crash into a structure is reduced.« less

Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The results of the Panel's activities are presented in a set of findings and recommendations. Highlighted here are both improvements in NASA's safety and reliability activities and specific areas where additional gains might be realized. One area of particular concern involves the curtailment or elimination of Space Shuttle safety and reliability enhancements. Several findings and recommendations address this area of concern, reflecting the opinion that safety and reliability enhancements are essential to the continued successful operation of the Space Shuttle. It is recommended that a comprehensive and continuing program of safety and reliability improvements in all areas of Space Shuttle hardware/software be considered an inherent component of ongoing Space Shuttle operations.

The Role of Special Operations Forces in Counter-Narcotic Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

and Colombia . The thesis describes the present structure of US Army Special Operations Forces and their capabilites. It recommends missions for each...target countries of Colombia , Peru and Bolivia. The area known as the Andean Ridge will be the specific target area for this thesis. In examining...organization, recognized that pre- conditions exist in Colombia for their initial success. They must retain support of the local population to maintain control

Handling qualities criteria for the space shuttle orbiter during the terminal phase of flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stapleford, R. L.; Klein, R. H.; Hob, R. H.

1972-01-01

It was found that large portions of the military handling qualities specification are directly applicable. However a number of additional and substitute criteria are recommended for areas not covered or inadequately covered in the military specification. Supporting pilot/vehicle analyses and simulation experiments were conducted and are described. Results are also presented of analytical and simulator evaluations of three specific interim Orbiter designs which provided a test of the proposed handling qualities criteria. The correlations between the analytical and experimental evaluations were generally excellent.

Behavioral and brain asymmetries in primates: a preliminary evaluation of two evolutionary hypotheses.

PubMed

Hopkins, William D; Misiura, Maria; Pope, Sarah M; Latash, Elitaveta M

2015-11-01

Contrary to many historical views, recent evidence suggests that species-level behavioral and brain asymmetries are evident in nonhuman species. Here, we briefly present evidence of behavioral, perceptual, cognitive, functional, and neuroanatomical asymmetries in nonhuman primates. In addition, we describe two historical accounts of the evolutionary origins of hemispheric specialization and present data from nonhuman primates that address these specific theories. Specifically, we first discuss the evidence that genes play specific roles in determining left-right differences in anatomical and functional asymmetries in primates. We next consider and present data on the hypothesis that hemispheric specialization evolved as a by-product of increasing brain size relative to the surface area of the corpus callosum in different primate species. Last, we discuss some of the challenges in the study of hemispheric specialization in primates and offer some suggestions on how to advance the field. © 2015 New York Academy of Sciences.

Effect of Ionic Soil Stabilizers on Soil-Water Characteristic of Special Clay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, D.; Xiang, W.

2011-12-01

The engineering properties of special clay are conventionally improved through the use of chemical additive such as ionic soil stabilizer (ISS). Such special clays are often referred to as stabilized or treated clays. The soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) of special clays from Henan province and Hubei province were measured both in natural and stabilized conditions using the pressure plate apparatus in the suction range of 0-500 kPa. The SWCC results are used to interpret the special clays behavior due to stabilizer treatment. In addition, relationships were developed between the basic clay and stabilized properties such as specific surface area and pore size distribution. The analysis showed that specific surface area decreases, cumulative pore volume and average pore size diameter decrease, dehydration rate slows and the thickness of water film thins after treatment with Ionic Soil Stabilizer. The research data and interpretation analysis presented here can be extended to understand the water film change behaviors influencing the mechanical and physical properties of stabilized special clay soils. KEY WORDS: ionic soil stabilizer, special clay, pore size diameter, specific surface area, soil water characteristic curve, water film

AWE: Aviation Weather Data Visualization Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spirkovska, Lilly; Lodha, Suresh K.; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Weather is one of the major causes of aviation accidents. General aviation (GA) flights account for 92% of all the aviation accidents, In spite of all the official and unofficial sources of weather visualization tools available to pilots, there is an urgent need for visualizing several weather related data tailored for general aviation pilots. Our system, Aviation Weather Data Visualization Environment AWE), presents graphical displays of meteorological observations, terminal area forecasts, and winds aloft forecasts onto a cartographic grid specific to the pilot's area of interest. Decisions regarding the graphical display and design are made based on careful consideration of user needs. Integral visual display of these elements of weather reports is designed for the use of GA pilots as a weather briefing and route selection tool. AWE provides linking of the weather information to the flight's path and schedule. The pilot can interact with the system to obtain aviation-specific weather for the entire area or for his specific route to explore what-if scenarios and make "go/no-go" decisions. The system, as evaluated by some pilots at NASA Ames Research Center, was found to be useful.

Changing Patient Needs and Their Impact on Clinical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colman, Harvey L.; And Others

1985-01-01

Results of an analysis of changes in dental clinic patient needs and characteristics in the period of 1978-82 are presented, and their implications for the availability of experiences for the clinical training of dental students in specific areas are discussed. (MSE)

Microscopic model of road capacity for highway systems in port based metropolitan areas.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-03-01

In this report, we present our approach to use microscopic modeling to assess : highway traffic mobility during lane blockage situation. A test microscopic model using : ARENA software is developed. In this model, we specifically aim to simulate the ...

Relevance of Dementia in Atrial Fibrillation Patients within a Specific European Health Care Area.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Mañero, Moisés; López-Pardo, Estrella; Cordero, Alberto; Kreidieh, Omar; Novo Platas, José; Valdés, Luis; Cid-Menendez, Adrian; García-Seara, Javier; Pereira-Vázquez, María; Martínez-Sande, Jose-Luis; Ruano, Alberto; Peña-Gil, Carlos; Mazón, Pilar; García-Acuña, Jose María; González-Juanatey, José Ramón

2018-05-15

Atrial fibrillation might increase the risk of dementia. We aim to test the hypothesis that dementia could reclassify the actual risk of stroke and death predicted by the CHA2DS2-VASc in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). A prospective study performed in a specific health care area. From our health care area (n = 348,985), throughout 2013, AF was codified in 7,990 (2.08%). Mean age was 76.83 ± 10.5, mean CHA2DS2-VASc = 3.5, 4,056 (50.8%) were females and 287 (3.6%) were diagnosed to have dementia. Patients with dementia were older and presented a higher rate of all the components of the CHA2DS2-VASc-expect vasculopathy. Differences in overall mortality were observed but not in stroke and haemorrhagic events. After propensity score matched analysis, dementia was independently associated with all-cause mortality. Addition of dementia to CHA2DS2-VASc reclassified 7.7 and 16.6% of the cohort with regard to thromboembolic events and death risk respectively. Patients with dementia presented a more adverse risk profile, with significant differences in all-cause mortality. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Dynamic laser speckle technique as an alternative tool to determine hygroscopic capacity and specific surface area of microporous zeolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mojica-Sepulveda, Ruth Dary; Mendoza-Herrera, Luís Joaquín; Grumel, Eduardo; Soria, Delia Beatriz; Cabello, Carmen Inés; Trivi, Marcelo

2018-07-01

Adsorption phenomena have several technological applications such as desiccants, catalysts, and separation of gases. Their uses depend on the textural properties of the solid adsorbent and the type of the adsorbed liquid or gas. Therefore, it is important to determine these properties. The most common measurement methods are physicochemical based on adsorption of N2 to determine the surface area and the distribution of pores size. However these techniques present certain limitations for microporous materials. In this paper we propose the use of the Dynamic Laser Speckle (DLS) technique to measure the hygroscopic capacity of a microporous natural zeolite and their modified forms. This new approach based on the adsorption of water by solids allows determine their specific surface area (S). To test the DLS results, we compared the obtained S values to those calculated by different conventional isotherms using the N2 adsorption-desorption method.

Appraisal of data for ground-water quality in Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Engberg, R.A.

1984-01-01

This report summarizes existing data for groundwater quality in Nebraska and indicates their adequacy as a data base. Analyses have been made of water from nearly 10,000 wells by 8 agencies. Those analyses that meet reliability criteria have been aggregated by geologic source of water into four principal aquifer groupings--Holocene-Pleistocene aquifers, Tertiary aquifers, Mesozoic aquifers, and Paleozoic aquifers. For each aquifer grouping, data for specific conductance and 24 constituents in the water are summarized statistically. Also, diagrams are presented showing differences in statistical parameters, or in chemical composition, of water from the different aquifer groupings. Additionally, for each grouping except Paleozoic aquifers, maps show ranges in concentration of dissolved solids, calcium, alkalinity, and sulfate. In areas where data are insufficient to delimit, ranges in concentration also are shown on the maps. Point-source contamination has been identified at 41 locations and nonpoint-source contamination in 3 areas, namely, the central Platte Valley, Holt County, and Boyd County. Potential for nonpoint-source contamination exists in 10 major areas, which together comprise more than one-third of the State. Existing data are mostly from specific projects having limited areas and objectives. Consequently, a lack of data exists for other areas and for certain geologic units, particularly the Mesozoic and Paleozoic aquifers. Specific data needs for each of the four principal aquifer groupings are indicated in a matrix table.

Applications of aerospace technology in the public sector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anuskiewicz, T.; Johnston, J.; Zimmerman, R. R.

1971-01-01

Current activities of the program to accelerate specific applications of space related technology in major public sector problem areas are summarized for the period 1 June 1971 through 30 November 1971. An overview of NASA technology, technology applications, and supporting activities are presented. Specific technology applications in biomedicine are reported including cancer detection, treatment and research; cardiovascular diseases, diagnosis, and treatment; medical instrumentation; kidney function disorders, treatment, and research; and rehabilitation medicine.

Summer institute for the teaching of psychology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rycek, R.F.; Miller, R.L.

This presentation will focus on the development of a summer institute to enhance high school and post-secondary teaching in psychology. The purpose of the institute is to provide an intensive teaching seminar in a specific content area of psychology presented by notable researchers and textbook authors in the field. The goal of the institute is to: (1) update participants in a particular content area, (2) introduce participants to new methods and technologies for teaching the content area at the high school and college level, and (3) provide attendees with a set of curriculum materials including classroom exercises and demonstrations whichmore » will allow students to conduct scientific experiments in psychology as well as to relate their findings to real world issues. The actual institute is staffed by at least three nationally known experts in a particular topic area of psychology. Over a five-day period, each expert gives at least three major presentations followed by appropriate breakout session which include demonstrations and discussions. The experts supply lecture outlines and supporting materials for their topics area which participants receive as a part of their learning packet. Participants also have the opportunity to share their teaching experiences and expertise.« less

Job retention and breast cancer: employee perspectives and implications for rehabilitation planning.

PubMed

Rumrill, P D; Nutter, D L; Hennessey, M; Ware, M E

1998-01-01

The article presents four case studies of employed women who have had breast cancer. Specifically, the authors examine respondents' career maintenance concerns in the areas of (a) worksite accessibility, (b) performance of essential job functions, (c) job mastery, and (d) job satisfaction. Post-employment strategies are presented to assist rehabilitation professionals in meeting the on-the-job needs of women with breast cancer.

A new generation of high performance engines for spacecraft propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberg, Sanders D.; Schoenman, Leonard

1991-01-01

Experimental data validating advanced engine designs at three thrust levels (5, 15, and 100 lbF) is presented. All of the three engine designs considered employ a Moog bipropellant torque motor valve, platelet injector design, and iridium-lined rhenium combustion chamber. Attention is focused on the performance, robustness, duration, and flexibility characteristics of the engines. It is noted that the 5- and 15-lbF thrust engines can deliver a steady state specific impulse in excess of 310 lbF-sec/lbm at an area ratio of 150:1, while the 150-lbF thrust engines deliver a steady state specific impulse of 320 lbF-sec/lbm at an area ratio of 250:1. The hot-fire test results reveal specific impulse improvements of 15 to 25 sec over conventional fuel film cooled columbium chamber designs while operating at maximum chamber temperatures.

Methodology, status and plans for development and assessment of TUF and CATHENA codes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luxat, J.C.; Liu, W.S.; Leung, R.K.

1997-07-01

An overview is presented of the Canadian two-fluid computer codes TUF and CATHENA with specific focus on the constraints imposed during development of these codes and the areas of application for which they are intended. Additionally a process for systematic assessment of these codes is described which is part of a broader, industry based initiative for validation of computer codes used in all major disciplines of safety analysis. This is intended to provide both the licensee and the regulator in Canada with an objective basis for assessing the adequacy of codes for use in specific applications. Although focused specifically onmore » CANDU reactors, Canadian experience in developing advanced two-fluid codes to meet wide-ranging application needs while maintaining past investment in plant modelling provides a useful contribution to international efforts in this area.« less

Preparation and Electrochemical Characterization of Mesoporous Polyaniline-Silica Nanocomposites as an Electrode Material for Pseudocapacitors

PubMed Central

Zu, Lei; Cui, Xiuguo; Jiang, Yanhua; Hu, Zhongkai; Lian, Huiqin; Liu, Yang; Jin, Yushun; Li, Yan; Wang, Xiaodong

2015-01-01

Mesoporous polyaniline-silica nanocomposites with a full interpenetrating structure for pseudocapacitors were synthesized via the vapor phase approach. The morphology and structure of the nanocomposites were deeply investigated by scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis and nitrogen adsorption-desorption tests. The results present that the mesoporous nanocomposites possess a uniform particle morphology and full interpenetrating structure, leading to a continuous conductive polyaniline network with a large specific surface area. The electrochemical performances of the nanocomposites were tested in a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and potassium iodide. With the merits of a large specific surface area and suitable pore size distribution, the nanocomposite showed a large specific capacitance (1702.68 farad (F)/g) due to its higher utilization of the active material. This amazing value is almost three-times larger than that of bulk polyaniline when the same mass of active material was used. PMID:28788006

Musical Creativity “Revealed” in Brain Structure: Interplay between Motor, Default Mode, and Limbic Networks

PubMed Central

Bashwiner, David M.; Wertz, Christopher J.; Flores, Ranee A.; Jung, Rex E.

2016-01-01

Creative behaviors are among the most complex that humans engage in, involving not only highly intricate, domain-specific knowledge and skill, but also domain-general processing styles and the affective drive to create. This study presents structural imaging data indicating that musically creative people (as indicated by self-report) have greater cortical surface area or volume in a) regions associated with domain-specific higher-cognitive motor activity and sound processing (dorsal premotor cortex, supplementary and pre-supplementary motor areas, and planum temporale), b) domain-general creative-ideation regions associated with the default mode network (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and temporal pole), and c) emotion-related regions (orbitofrontal cortex, temporal pole, and amygdala). These findings suggest that domain-specific musical expertise, default-mode cognitive processing style, and intensity of emotional experience might all coordinate to motivate and facilitate the drive to create music. PMID:26888383

[Helminthic fauna of commercial fishes from the Saya-de-Malya bank (Indian Ocean)].

PubMed

Parukhin, A M

1988-01-01

The data on infestation of 8 species of commercial fishes from Saya-de-Malya bank (the Indian Ocean) are presented. 43 helminth species were identified: 10 Monogenea species, 18 trematode, 7 cestode and 8 nematode species. The mature worms are observed to be related to a certain host, whereas the nematode and cestode larvae have wide specificity. High infestation degree by Anisakis larvae is found in fishes, especially in Carangidae. At the bank area fishes are found to be free from Acanthocephala while those Acanthocephala are found in fishes from other areas of the Indian Ocean which may be attributed to the specific diet at the Saya-de-Malya bank. On the whole the helminth fauna of fishes examined at the Saya-de-Malya bank does not demonstrate the endemic pattern. The most specific helminth species were found in some fish species.

The areal reduction factor: A new analytical expression for the Lazio Region in central Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mineo, C.; Ridolfi, E.; Napolitano, F.; Russo, F.

2018-05-01

For the study and modeling of hydrological phenomena, both in urban and rural areas, a proper estimation of the areal reduction factor (ARF) is crucial. In this paper, we estimated the ARF from observed rainfall data as the ratio between the average rainfall occurring in a specific area and the point rainfall. Then, we compared the obtained ARF values with some of the most widespread empirical approaches in literature which are used when rainfall observations are not available. Results highlight that the literature formulations can lead to a substantial over- or underestimation of the ARF estimated from observed data. These findings can have severe consequences, especially in the design of hydraulic structures where empirical formulations are extensively applied. The aim of this paper is to present a new analytical relationship with an explicit dependence on the rainfall duration and area that can better represent the ARF-area trend over the area case of study. The analytical curve presented here can find an important application to estimate the ARF values for design purposes. The test study area is the Lazio Region (central Italy).

Mercury Underpotential Deposition to Determine Iridium and Iridium Oxide Electrochemical Surface Areas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alia, Shaun M.; Hurst, Katherine E.; Kocha, Shyam S.

Determining the surface areas of electrocatalysts is critical for separating the key properties of area-specific activity and electrochemical surface area from mass activity. Hydrogen underpotential deposition and carbon monoxide oxidation are typically used to evaluate iridium (Ir) surface areas, but are ineffective on oxides and can be sensitive to surface oxides formed on Ir metals. Mercury underpotential deposition is presented in this study as an alternative, able to produce reasonable surface areas on Ir and Ir oxide nanoparticles, and able to produce similar surface areas prior to and following characterization in oxygen evolution. Reliable electrochemical surface areas allow for comparativemore » studies of different catalyst types and the characterization of advanced oxygen evolution catalysts. Lastly, they also enable the study of catalyst degradation in durability testing, both areas of increasing importance within electrolysis and electrocatalysis.« less

Mercury Underpotential Deposition to Determine Iridium and Iridium Oxide Electrochemical Surface Areas

DOE PAGES

Alia, Shaun M.; Hurst, Katherine E.; Kocha, Shyam S.; ...

2016-06-02

Determining the surface areas of electrocatalysts is critical for separating the key properties of area-specific activity and electrochemical surface area from mass activity. Hydrogen underpotential deposition and carbon monoxide oxidation are typically used to evaluate iridium (Ir) surface areas, but are ineffective on oxides and can be sensitive to surface oxides formed on Ir metals. Mercury underpotential deposition is presented in this study as an alternative, able to produce reasonable surface areas on Ir and Ir oxide nanoparticles, and able to produce similar surface areas prior to and following characterization in oxygen evolution. Reliable electrochemical surface areas allow for comparativemore » studies of different catalyst types and the characterization of advanced oxygen evolution catalysts. Lastly, they also enable the study of catalyst degradation in durability testing, both areas of increasing importance within electrolysis and electrocatalysis.« less

The challenge of compiling data profiles to stimulate local preventive health action: a European case study from child safety.

PubMed

Alexander, Denise; Rigby, Michael; Gissler, Mika; Köhler, Lennart; MacKay, Morag

2015-05-01

Positive recent experience of presenting comparative child safety data at national level has instigated policy action in Europe. It was hoped a Child Safety Index could quantify how safe a community, region or locality is for its children in comparison with similar areas within Europe, as a focus for local targeted action. Validated indicators proposed by previous European projects identified from areas of child injury prevention, such as road safety, burns or poisoning, were selected to give a balanced profile, and populated from available published data. An index using a sub-score for each specific injury topic was proposed. The indicators' presentation, sensitivity and appropriateness were considered, as well as data availability. Satisfactory indicators were not identified for all areas and very few local area data were available. This forced the researchers to conclude that at present, constructing a reliable Child Safety Index for use at the local level is not feasible. There is a worrying lack of data available at the sub-national level to support injury prevention, evaluate interventions, and enable informed local decision making.

Detection of ground deformation in the broader area of Sharm El- Shiekh (Sinai Peninsula, Egypt) by SAR interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seleem, Tarek A.; Foumelis, Michael; Parcharidis, Issaak

2009-09-01

Sharm El-Shiekh area is located in the most southern part of Sinai Peninsula boarded by the Gulf of Suez to the west and by the Gulf of Aqaba to the east. The present study concerns the application of Multibaseline/Stacking Differential SAR Interferometry (DInSAR) in order to monitor ground deformation rates in the southern part of Sharm El-Shiekh area. The specific technique was applied in order to reduce the influence of atmospheric effects on ground deformation estimates. For this purpose a total number of 24 ENVISAT ASAR scenes covering the period between 2002 and 2008 were processed and analysed. Interferometric results show both patterns of uplift and downlift in the study area. Specifically an area along the coastline with a N-S direction, corresponding to the build up zone of Sharm El-Shiekh, shows average annual subsidence rates between -5 and -7 mm/yr along the line of sight (LOS). On the contrary, Sharm El Maya, an inner zone parallel to the above subsided area, shows slant range uplift of around 5 mm/yr. The obtained results of SAR inteferometry probably indicate the presence of an active fault that affects the coastal zones of Sharm El-Shiekh area.

Symmetric redox supercapacitor based on micro-fabrication with three-dimensional polypyrrole electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Wei; Zheng, Ruilin; Chen, Xuyuan

To achieve higher energy density and power density, we have designed and fabricated a symmetric redox supercapacitor based on microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technologies. The supercapacitor consists of a three-dimensional (3D) microstructure on silicon substrate micromachined by high-aspect-ratio deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) method, two sputtered Ti current collectors and two electrochemical polymerized polypyrrole (PPy) films as electrodes. Electrochemical tests, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatical charge/discharge methods have been carried out on the single PPy electrodes and the symmetric supercapacitor in different electrolytes. The specific capacitance (capacitance per unit footprint area) and specific power (power per unit footprint area) of the PPy electrodes and symmetric supercapacitor can be calculated from the electrochemical test data. It is found that NaCl solution is a good electrolyte for the polymerized PPy electrodes. In NaCl electrolyte, single PPy electrodes exhibit 0.128 F cm -2 specific capacitance and 1.28 mW cm -2 specific power at 20 mV s -1 scan rate. The symmetric supercapacitor presents 0.056 F cm -2 specific capacitance and 0.56 mW cm -2 specific power at 20 mV s -1 scan rate.

Thalamic reticular nucleus in Caiman crocodilus: Relationship with the dorsal thalamus.

PubMed

Pritz, M B

2016-05-13

The thalamic reticular nucleus was investigated in one group of crocodilians, Caiman crocodilus. This neuronal aggregate is composed of two parts: a compact portion and a diffuse region made up of scattered cells within the forebrain bundles. In Caiman, both the lateral and medial forebrain bundles project to the telencephalon and the thalamic reticular nucleus is associated with each fiber tract. In the lateral forebrain bundle, the compact area is termed the nucleus of the dorsal peduncle (dorsal peduncular nucleus) while the diffuse part is called the perireticular area. In the medial forebrain bundle, the interstitial nucleus comprises one part of the compact area while another region without a specific neuronal label is also present. Similar to the perireticular cells of the lateral forebrain bundle, scattered cells are also present in the medial forebrain bundle. Morphological features of the thalamic reticular nucleus are revealed with stains for the following: fibers; cells; succinic acid dehydrogenase; and acetylcholinesterase. Regardless of which dorsal thalamic nucleus was injected, a localized region of the thalamic reticular nucleus contained retrogradely labeled cells and anterogradely labeled axons and terminals. This grouping was termed clusters and was felt to represent the densest interconnection between the dorsal thalamus and the reticular nucleus. Using clusters as an index of interconnections, the reticular nucleus was divided into sectors, each of which was associated with a specific dorsal thalamic nucleus. An organization similar to that found in Caiman is present in other sauropsids as well as in mammals. These data suggest that a thalamic reticular nucleus is present in all amniotes and has morphological properties similar to those described in this analysis. Lastly, a hypothesis is presented to explain how the external shape of the reticular nucleus in Caiman might be transformed into the homologous area in a representative bird and mammal. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SR-SCARLET 1: Peregrin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tandon, Manoj; Zuppardo, Joseph C.; Johnson, James; Kilian, Mike; Schacht, Norman; Flowers, Diane; Zorn, Greg; Brown, Chad

1993-01-01

This report presents a reconnaissance aircraft with a lifting body configuration. The aircraft is capable of flying a distance of 6000 nmi at Mach 5 with a payload of 7500 pounds. The aircraft does not require a runway for takeoff for it is air launched from a carrier aircraft. Specifically this report addresses the areas of external aerodynamics, cost, thermal protection systems, propulsion, stability and control, and materials. Each area is represented by a separate section. This allows for selective reading.

Air Force research in human sensory feedback for telepresence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Julian, Ronald G.

1993-01-01

Telepresence operations require high quality information transfer between the human master and the remotely located slave. Present Air Force research focuses on the human aspects of the information needed to complete the control/feedback loop. Work in three key areas of human sensory feedback for manipulation of objects are described. Specific projects in each key area are outlined, including research tools (hardware), planned research, and test results. Nonmanipulative feedback technologies are mentioned to complete the advanced teleoperation discussions.

[Annual Reports for the Academic Year 1980-81 from 49 States, the District of Columbia and 3 Canadian Provinces Focusing on Problems, Issues, Achievements and Other Areas of Interest to the Postsecondary Education Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berve, Nancy M., Ed.

1981-01-01

Annual reports are presented for the academic year 1980-1981 from 49 states (except Maine), the District of Columbia, and three Canadian provinces focusing on problems, issues, achievements, and other areas of interest to the postsecondary education community. Specific topics include the following: long-range plans for higher education,…

Statistical summaries of water-quality data for streams draining coal-mined areas, southeastern Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bevans, Hugh E.; Diaz, Arthur M.

1980-01-01

Summaries of descriptive statistics are compiled for 14 data-collection sites located on streams draining areas that have been shaft mined and strip mined for coal in Cherokee and Crawford Counties in southeastern Kansas. These summaries include water-quality data collected from October 1976 through April 1979. Regression equations relating specific conductance and instantaneous streamflow to concentrations of bicarbonate, sulfate, chloride, fluoride, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, silica, and dissolved solids are presented.

Curriculum for the Intellectually Disabled Trainable.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magnolia Special Education Center, Orlando, FL.

The curriculum guide presents a developmental sequence of learning activities to achieve specific goals for primary, intermediate, and secondary age level trainable mentally retarded students. Six major areas of learning are covered: self care (bathroom, grooming, food, clothing, safety), body usage (gross motor, health, fitness, eye-hand…

GPL Report: Educational R&D in a Tough Budget Year.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florio, David H.

1979-01-01

This report examines funding and activities of the National Institute of Education (NIE) to demonstrate how educational inquiry is doing in obtaining federal financial support. An overview of specific areas NIE plans to investigate if adequate funds are allocated is presented. (EB)

Aerospace Concepts at the Elementary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Aerospace Education, 1975

1975-01-01

Presents materials compiled to assist the elementary teacher in preparing teaching units in aerospace education. Suggests specific and general objectives and lists important concepts and questions pertaining to areas such as: history of flight, weather and flying, airplanes, jets, rockets, space travel, and the solar system. (MLH)

USL/DBMS NASA/PC R and D project system design standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dominick, Wayne D. (Editor); Moreau, Dennis R.

1984-01-01

A set of system design standards intended to assure the completeness and quality of designs developed for PC research and development projects is established. The standards presented address the areas of problem definition, initial design plan, design specification, and re-evaluation.

Asking the difficult questions: message strategies used by organ procurement coordinators in requesting familial consent to organ donation.

PubMed

Anker, Ashley E; Feeley, Thomas Hugh

2011-07-01

The present study provides an in-depth examination of the messages used by organ procurement coordinators (OPCs) in shaping familial requests for organ donation. OPCs (N = 102), recruited from a national sample of 16 organ procurement organizations, participated in a structured interview designed to uncover the communication strategies used in obtaining familial consent for donation. Analysis of interviews indicates OPCs' messages cover 4 domain areas. Specifically, OPCs report use of messages intended to (a) provide education, (b) discuss the benefits to donation, (c) learn about potential donor families, and (d) persuade families to engage in donation. Within the 4 domain areas, OPCs report use of 15 specific messages (e.g., "positively framing the donor," "social proof," "discuss the benefit of donation to grieving") in requesting consent. The present study provides a detailed examination of strategies and offers recommendations for using message strategies to explore the effectiveness of the consent process from the perspective of OPCs in approaching donor families.

Human motion analysis with detection of subpart deformations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Juhui; Lorette, Guy; Bouthemy, Patrick

1992-06-01

One essential constraint used in 3-D motion estimation from optical projections is the rigidity assumption. Because of muscle deformations in human motion, this rigidity requirement is often violated for some regions on the human body. Global methods usually fail to bring stable solutions. This paper presents a model-based approach to combating the effect of muscle deformations in human motion analysis. The approach developed is based on two main stages. In the first stage, the human body is partitioned into different areas, where each area is consistent with a general motion model (not necessarily corresponding to a physical existing motion pattern). In the second stage, the regions are eliminated under the hypothesis that they are not induced by a specific human motion pattern. Each hypothesis is generated by making use of specific knowledge about human motion. A global method is used to estimate the 3-D motion parameters in basis of valid segments. Experiments based on a cycling motion sequence are presented.

Quantifying the Pathway and Predicting Spontaneous Emulsification during Material Exchange in a Two Phase Liquid System.

PubMed

Spooner, Stephen; Rahnama, Alireza; Warnett, Jason M; Williams, Mark A; Li, Zushu; Sridhar, Seetharaman

2017-10-30

Kinetic restriction of a thermodynamically favourable equilibrium is a common theme in materials processing. The interfacial instability in systems where rate of material exchange is far greater than the mass transfer through respective bulk phases is of specific interest when tracking the transient interfacial area, a parameter integral to short processing times for productivity streamlining in all manufacturing where interfacial reaction occurs. This is even more pertinent in high-temperature systems for energy and cost savings. Here the quantified physical pathway of interfacial area change due to material exchange in liquid metal-molten oxide systems is presented. In addition the predicted growth regime and emulsification behaviour in relation to interfacial tension as modelled using phase-field methodology is shown. The observed in-situ emulsification behaviour links quantitatively the geometry of perturbations as a validation method for the development of simulating the phenomena. Thus a method is presented to both predict and engineer the formation of micro emulsions to a desired specification.

Airborne oceanographic lidar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Specifications and preliminary design of an Airborne Oceanographic Lidar (AOL) system, which is to be constructed for installation and used on a NASA Wallops Flight Center (WFC) C-54 research aircraft, are reported. The AOL system is to provide an airborne facility for use by various government agencies to demonstrate the utility and practicality of hardware of this type in the wide area collection of oceanographic data on an operational basis. System measurement and performance requirements are presented, followed by a description of the conceptual system approach and the considerations attendant to its development. System performance calculations are addressed, and the system specifications and preliminary design are presented and discussed.

Theoretical Performance of Hydrogen-Oxygen Rocket Thrust Chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sievers, Gilbert K.; Tomazic, William A.; Kinney, George R.

1961-01-01

Data are presented for liquid-hydrogen-liquid-oxygen thrust chambers at chamber pressures from 15 to 1200 pounds per square inch absolute, area ratios to approximately 300, and percent fuel from about 8 to 34 for both equilibrium and frozen composition during expansion. Specific impulse in vacuum, specific impulse, combustion-chamber temperature, nozzle-exit temperature, characteristic velocity, and the ratio of chamber-to-nozzle-exit pressure are included. The data are presented in convenient graphical forms to allow quick calculation of theoretical nozzle performance with over- or underexpansion, flow separation, and introduction of the propellants at various initial conditions or heat loss from the combustion chamber.

Remote sensing in agriculture. [using Earth Resources Technology Satellite photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Downs, S. W., Jr.

1974-01-01

Some examples are presented of the use of remote sensing in cultivated crops, forestry, and range management. Areas of concern include: the determination of crop areas and types, prediction of yield, and detection of disease; the determination of forest areas and types, timber volume estimation, detection of insect and disease attack, and forest fires; and the determination of range conditions and inventory, and livestock inventory. Articles in the literature are summarized and specific examples of work being performed at the Marshall Space Flight Center are given. Primarily, aerial photographs and photo-like ERTS images are considered.

Optimization problems in natural gas transportation systems. A state-of-the-art review

DOE PAGES

Ríos-Mercado, Roger Z.; Borraz-Sánchez, Conrado

2015-03-24

Our paper provides a review on the most relevant research works conducted to solve natural gas transportation problems via pipeline systems. The literature reveals three major groups of gas pipeline systems, namely gathering, transmission, and distribution systems. In this work, we aim at presenting a detailed discussion of the efforts made in optimizing natural gas transmission lines.There is certainly a vast amount of research done over the past few years on many decision-making problems in the natural gas industry and, specifically, in pipeline network optimization. In this work, we present a state-of-the-art survey focusing on specific categories that include short-termmore » basis storage (line-packing problems), gas quality satisfaction (pooling problems), and compressor station modeling (fuel cost minimization problems). We also discuss both steady-state and transient optimization models highlighting the modeling aspects and the most relevant solution approaches known to date. Although the literature on natural gas transmission system problems is quite extensive, this is, to the best of our knowledge, the first comprehensive review or survey covering this specific research area on natural gas transmission from an operations research perspective. Furthermore, this paper includes a discussion of the most important and promising research areas in this field. Hence, our paper can serve as a useful tool to gain insight into the evolution of the many real-life applications and most recent advances in solution methodologies arising from this exciting and challenging research area of decision-making problems.« less

Optimization problems in natural gas transportation systems. A state-of-the-art review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ríos-Mercado, Roger Z.; Borraz-Sánchez, Conrado

Our paper provides a review on the most relevant research works conducted to solve natural gas transportation problems via pipeline systems. The literature reveals three major groups of gas pipeline systems, namely gathering, transmission, and distribution systems. In this work, we aim at presenting a detailed discussion of the efforts made in optimizing natural gas transmission lines.There is certainly a vast amount of research done over the past few years on many decision-making problems in the natural gas industry and, specifically, in pipeline network optimization. In this work, we present a state-of-the-art survey focusing on specific categories that include short-termmore » basis storage (line-packing problems), gas quality satisfaction (pooling problems), and compressor station modeling (fuel cost minimization problems). We also discuss both steady-state and transient optimization models highlighting the modeling aspects and the most relevant solution approaches known to date. Although the literature on natural gas transmission system problems is quite extensive, this is, to the best of our knowledge, the first comprehensive review or survey covering this specific research area on natural gas transmission from an operations research perspective. Furthermore, this paper includes a discussion of the most important and promising research areas in this field. Hence, our paper can serve as a useful tool to gain insight into the evolution of the many real-life applications and most recent advances in solution methodologies arising from this exciting and challenging research area of decision-making problems.« less

Quantitative validation of sensory mapping in persistent postherniorrhaphy inguinal pain patients undergoing triple neurectomy.

PubMed

Bjurström, M F; Álvarez, R; Nicol, A L; Olmstead, R; Amid, P K; Chen, D C

2017-04-01

Neurectomy of the inguinal nerves may be considered for selected refractory cases of chronic postherniorrhaphy inguinal pain (CPIP). There is to date a paucity of easily applicable clinical tools to identify neuropathic pain and examine the neurosensory effects of remedial surgery. The present quantitative sensory testing (QST) pilot study evaluates a sensory mapping technique. Longitudinal (preoperative, immediate postoperative, and late postoperative) dermatomal sensory mapping and a comprehensive QST protocol were conducted in CPIP patients with unilateral, predominantly neuropathic inguinodynia presenting for triple neurectomy (n = 13). QST was conducted in four areas on the affected, painful side and in one contralateral comparison site. QST variables were compared according to sensory mapping outcomes: (o)/normal sensation, (+)/pain, and (-)/numbness. Diagnostic ability of the sensory mapping outcomes to detect QST-assessed allodynia or hypoesthesia was estimated through calculation of specificity and sensitivity values. Preoperatively, patients exhibited mechanical hypoesthesia and allodynia and pressure allodynia and hyperalgesia in painful areas mapped (+) (p < .05); sensory mapping outcome (+) demonstrated high ability to detect mechanical allodynia [sensitivity 0.74 (95% CI 0.61-0.86), specificity 0.94 (0.84-1.00)] and pressure allodynia [sensitivity 0.96 (0.89-1.00), specificity 1.00 (1.00-1.00)], but not thermal allodynia. Postoperatively, mapped areas of numbness (-) were associated with mechanical and thermal hypoesthesia (p < .05); (-) showed high sensitivity and specificity to detect mechanical and cold hypoesthesia. Sensory mapping provides an accurate clinical neuropathic assessment with strong correlation to QST findings of preoperative mechanical and pressure allodynia, and postoperative mechanical and thermal hypoesthesia in CPIP patients undergoing neurectomy.

From General Game Descriptions to a Market Specification Language for General Trading Agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thielscher, Michael; Zhang, Dongmo

The idea behind General Game Playing is to build systems that, instead of being programmed for one specific task, are intelligent and flexible enough to negotiate an unknown environment solely on the basis of the rules which govern it. In this paper, we argue that this principle has the great potential to bring to a new level artificially intelligent systems in other application areas as well. Our specific interest lies in General Trading Agents, which are able to understand the rules of unknown markets and then to actively participate in them without human intervention. To this end, we extend the general Game Description Language into a language that allows to formally describe arbitrary markets in such a way that these specifications can be automatically processed by a computer. We present both syntax and a transition-based semantics for this Market Specification Language and illustrate its expressive power by presenting axiomatizations of several well-known auction types.

Intracellular Protein Delivery System Using a Target-Specific Repebody and Translocation Domain of Bacterial Exotoxin.

PubMed

Kim, Hee-Yeon; Kang, Jung Ae; Ryou, Jeong-Hyun; Lee, Gyeong Hee; Choi, Dae Seong; Lee, Dong Eun; Kim, Hak-Sung

2017-11-17

With the high efficacy of protein-based therapeutics and plenty of intracellular drug targets, cytosolic protein delivery in a cell-specific manner has attracted considerable attention in the field of precision medicine. Herein, we present an intracellular protein delivery system based on a target-specific repebody and the translocation domain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A. The delivery platform was constructed by genetically fusing an EGFR-specific repebody as a targeting moiety to the translocation domain, while a protein cargo was fused to the C-terminal end of the delivery platform. The delivery platform was revealed to efficiently translocate a protein cargo to the cytosol in a target-specific manner. We demonstrate the utility and potential of the delivery platform by showing a remarkable tumor regression with negligible toxicity in a xenograft mice model when gelonin was used as the cytotoxic protein cargo. The present platform can find wide applications to the cell-selective cytosolic delivery of diverse proteins in many areas.

Polypyrrole/titanium oxide nanotube arrays composites as an active material for supercapacitors.

PubMed

Kim, Min Seok; Park, Jong Hyeok

2011-05-01

The authors present the first reported use of vertically oriented titanium oxide nanotube/polypyrrole (PPy) nanocomposites to increase the specific capacitance of TiO2 based energy storage devices. To increase their electrical storage capacity, titanium oxide nanotubes were coated with PPy and their morphologies were characterized. The incorporation of PPy increased the specific capacitance of the titanium oxide nanotube based supercapacitor system, due to their increased surface area and additional pseudo-capacitance.

Orthographic Coding: Brain Activation for Letters, Symbols, and Digits.

PubMed

Carreiras, Manuel; Quiñones, Ileana; Hernández-Cabrera, Juan Andrés; Duñabeitia, Jon Andoni

2015-12-01

The present experiment investigates the input coding mechanisms of 3 common printed characters: letters, numbers, and symbols. Despite research in this area, it is yet unclear whether the identity of these 3 elements is processed through the same or different brain pathways. In addition, some computational models propose that the position-in-string coding of these elements responds to general flexible mechanisms of the visual system that are not character-specific, whereas others suggest that the position coding of letters responds to specific processes that are different from those that guide the position-in-string assignment of other types of visual objects. Here, in an fMRI study, we manipulated character position and character identity through the transposition or substitution of 2 internal elements within strings of 4 elements. Participants were presented with 2 consecutive visual strings and asked to decide whether they were the same or different. The results showed: 1) that some brain areas responded more to letters than to numbers and vice versa, suggesting that processing may follow different brain pathways; 2) that the left parietal cortex is involved in letter identity, and critically in letter position coding, specifically contributing to the early stages of the reading process; and that 3) a stimulus-specific mechanism for letter position coding is operating during orthographic processing. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Chemical analyses of water samples from the Picher mining area, northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parkhurst, David L.

1987-01-01

Chemical analyses are presented for 169 water samples from Tar Creek drainage and the Picher lead-zinc mining area of northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas. Water samples were taken from November 1983 through February 1986 from the abandoned mines, from points of mine-water discharge, and from surface-water locations upstream and downstream from mine discharge area. The pH, temperature, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductance were measured in the field. Laboratory analyses routinely included the major ions plus aluminum, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc. Non-routine analyses of dissolved gases and tritium are presented. Stable carbon-isotope ratios for 11 mine-water samples and three carbonate-rock samples are reported. Miscellaneous stream-discharge measurements made at the time of sampling or taken from gaging-station records are included in the report.

Citizen science and air quality research at the U.S. EPA

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation summarizes some of the broad areas of effort at EPA related to citizen science and then focuses in specifically on recent developments in air quality. The air quality focus includes briefly summarizing emerging air sensor technology and a variety of projects th...

"Chrysalis -- A Time for Change."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orloff, Jeffrey H., Comp.

Presented is an evaluation of the first annual Northern Virginia Conference on Gifted/Talented Education held April 30 - May 1, 1976. Listed are details of the agenda, keynote speakers, mini-lab leaders, mini-lab sessions, conference participants, budget, and geographical areas represented. Evaluation information is provided on specific program…

Civil Law and Catholic Education: Past, Present, and Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaughnessy, Mary Angela

2009-01-01

This article will address the sources of the laws impacting Catholic education, particularly constitutional law, statutory and regulatory law, and contract law. Specific issues related to these areas will be discussed, including discipline, lifestyle and belief, negligence, sexual abuse, boundaries, confidentiality, cyberspace, and safety. The…

Pennsylvania Migratory Labor Program Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Governor's Committee on Migratory Labor, Harrisburg, PA.

Operating for the 18th year, the Pennsylvania Governor's Committee on Migratory Labor, which is charged with coordinating and bringing into focus the activities of various governmental and nongovernmental agencies relating to Pennsylvania's migrant workers, submits the present document as an annual report. Some specific areas reported on by…

FLES Games and Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irujo, Suzanne, Ed.

A number of activities for teaching foreign language in the elementary school (FLES) are presented. The activities were developed by participants in a FLES teacher training workshop, Project INTERACT, in the Boston area. The first section contains games, thematic units, and other activities specifically related to French language instruction,…

Language-Based Curriculum Analysis: A Collaborative Assessment and Intervention Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prelock, Patricia A.

1997-01-01

Presents a systematic process for completing a language-based curriculum analysis to address curriculum expectations that may challenge students with communication impairments. Analysis of vocabulary and the demands for comprehension, oral, and written expression within specific content areas provides a framework for collaboration between teachers…

Preparing to Enter Medical School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Shailer

A guide for students who are seeking admission to medical school is presented. The comprehensive coverage includes basic facts about medicine as well as specific requirements about the following areas: facts about health careers, treating patients, and nonpatient-oriented fields of medicine; the demands of medical education; planning a premedical…

First Things First: Demystifying Data Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmoker, Mike

2003-01-01

Calls for simplicity when presenting data on student achievement. Data should help teachers improve teaching and learning, and focus on specific goals such as determining how many students are succeeding in a subject and, within that subject, what are the areas of strength or weakness. (Contains 22 references.) (WFA)

Seventh Grade Interdisciplinary Packet (Science-Social Studies).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madison Public Schools, WI. Dept. of Curriculum Development.

GRADES OR AGES: Grade 7. SUBJECT MATTER: Science and Social Studies. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: This guide presents a series of earth sciences units which would have interdisciplinary potential specifically in the area of social studies. Introductory material includes a rationale, evaluation procedures, 44 "key" environmental concepts,…

Profitable Partnerships: Public-Private Partners in Economic Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edge, Barbara; MacDonald, William J.

Four case studies are presented to demonstrate the economic development potential of partnerships between community colleges and public and private sectors, focusing on programs that targeted a specific area of need in Oregon's economic base and raised significant funds for program implementation. Introductory comments provide background…

Considerations relative to the use of canes by blind travelers in air carrier aircraft cabins.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-07-01

Results are presented of specific areas of study; i.e.: : 1.passenger evacuation time lapses with and without the presence of canes; : 2.emergency exiting advantages and disadvantages with and without the presence of canes; : 3.the utility of surroga...

Safety in Science. Curriculum Support Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lulashnyk, Lorne; Boonov, Janet

Since the major causes of accidents are carelessness and a negative or apathetic attitude towards safety, this guide was developed to facilitate safe, stimulating science laboratory activities by providing both general and specific safety information presented in 12 sections. Subject areas considered in these sections include: 1)…

Science: Grades K-2. [Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Muriel; And Others

This document was developed to provide primary level school teachers in New York City with specific materials and suggestions for organizing effective learning experiences in the science area. The program is designed to emphasize both science knowledge and science processes. An introductory section presents ideas related to the overall philosophy…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurt Derr; Milos Manic

Time and location data play a very significant role in a variety of factory automation scenarios, such as automated vehicles and robots, their navigation, tracking, and monitoring, to services of optimization and security. In addition, pervasive wireless capabilities combined with time and location information are enabling new applications in areas such as transportation systems, health care, elder care, military, emergency response, critical infrastructure, and law enforcement. A person/object in proximity to certain areas for specific durations of time may pose a risk hazard either to themselves, others, or the environment. This paper presents a novel fuzzy based spatio-temporal risk calculationmore » DSTiPE method that an object with wireless communications presents to the environment. The presented Matlab based application for fuzzy spatio-temporal risk cluster extraction is verified on a diagonal vehicle movement example.« less

Comparative Investigation of Shared Filesystems for the LHCb Online Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijay Kartik, S.; Neufeld, Niko

2012-12-01

This paper describes the investigative study undertaken to evaluate shared filesystem performance and suitability in the LHCb Online environment. Particular focus is given to the measurements and field tests designed and performed on an in-house OpenAFS setup; related comparisons with NFSv4 and GPFS (a clustered filesystem from IBM) are presented. The motivation for the investigation and the test setup arises from the need to serve common user-space like home directories, experiment software and control areas, and clustered log areas. Since the operational requirements on such user-space are stringent in terms of read-write operations (in frequency and access speed) and unobtrusive data relocation, test results are presented with emphasis on file-level performance, stability and “high-availability” of the shared filesystems. Use cases specific to the experiment operation in LHCb, including the specific handling of shared filesystems served to a cluster of 1500 diskless nodes, are described. Issues of prematurely expiring authenticated sessions are explicitly addressed, keeping in mind long-running analysis jobs on the Online cluster. In addition, quantitative test results are also presented with alternatives including NFSv4. Comparative measurements of filesystem performance benchmarks are presented, which are seen to be used as reference for decisions on potential migration of the current storage solution deployed in the LHCb online cluster.

Mine-hunting dolphins of the Navy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Patrick W.

1997-07-01

Current counter-mine and obstacle avoidance technology is inadequate, and limits the Navy's capability to conduct shallow water (SW) and very shallow water (VSW) MCM in support of beach assaults by Marine Corps forces. Without information as to the location or density of mined beach areas, it must be assumed that if mines are present in one area then they are present in all areas. Marine mammal systems (MMS) are an unusual, effective and unique solution to current problems of mine and obstacle hunting. In the US Navy Mine Warfare Plan for 1994-1995 Marine Mammal Systems are explicitly identified as the Navy's only means of countering buried mines and the best means for dealing with close-tethered mines. The dolphins in these systems possess a biological sonar specifically adapted for their shallow and very shallow water habitat. Research has demonstrated that the dolphin biosonar outperforms any current hardware system available for SW and VSW applications. This presentation will cover current Fleet MCM systems and future technology application to the littoral region.

Backpropagation and ordered derivatives in the time scales calculus.

PubMed

Seiffertt, John; Wunsch, Donald C

2010-08-01

Backpropagation is the most widely used neural network learning technique. It is based on the mathematical notion of an ordered derivative. In this paper, we present a formulation of ordered derivatives and the backpropagation training algorithm using the important emerging area of mathematics known as the time scales calculus. This calculus, with its potential for application to a wide variety of inter-disciplinary problems, is becoming a key area of mathematics. It is capable of unifying continuous and discrete analysis within one coherent theoretical framework. Using this calculus, we present here a generalization of backpropagation which is appropriate for cases beyond the specifically continuous or discrete. We develop a new multivariate chain rule of this calculus, define ordered derivatives on time scales, prove a key theorem about them, and derive the backpropagation weight update equations for a feedforward multilayer neural network architecture. By drawing together the time scales calculus and the area of neural network learning, we present the first connection of two major fields of research.

Sensor Fusion and Smart Sensor in Sports and Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Mendes, José Jair Alves; Vieira, Mário Elias Marinho; Pires, Marcelo Bissi; Stevan, Sergio Luiz

2016-09-23

The following work presents an overview of smart sensors and sensor fusion targeted at biomedical applications and sports areas. In this work, the integration of these areas is demonstrated, promoting a reflection about techniques and applications to collect, quantify and qualify some physical variables associated with the human body. These techniques are presented in various biomedical and sports applications, which cover areas related to diagnostics, rehabilitation, physical monitoring, and the development of performance in athletes, among others. Although some applications are described in only one of two fields of study (biomedicine and sports), it is very likely that the same application fits in both, with small peculiarities or adaptations. To illustrate the contemporaneity of applications, an analysis of specialized papers published in the last six years has been made. In this context, the main characteristic of this review is to present the largest quantity of relevant examples of sensor fusion and smart sensors focusing on their utilization and proposals, without deeply addressing one specific system or technique, to the detriment of the others.

Study of multiple cycles valves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wichmann, H.

1973-01-01

A discussion is presented regarding valves which can be cycled repeatedly and are available from industry for application in the inlet system for the Pioneer Venus Probe mass spectrometer. Both solenoid type and latching type valves are considered. The study is divided into two principal areas: (1) preparation of a valve specification reflecting the requirements of the inlet system cyclic valves for the Pioneer Venus Probe mass spectrometer and the submittal of this specification to potential valve suppliers for their response and proposal; (2) preparation of a design layout of an optimum cyclic valve meeting all of the valve specification requirements.

Specific surface area of a crushed welded tuff before and after aqueous dissolution

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reddy, M.M.; Claassen, H.C.

1994-01-01

Specific surface areas were measured for several reference minerals (anorthoclase, labradorite and augite), welded tuff and stream sediments from Snowshoe Mountain, near Creede, Colorado. Crushed and sieved tuff had an unexpectedly small variation in specific surface area over a range of size fractions. Replicate surface area measurements of the largest and smallest tuff particle size fractions examined (1-0.3 mm and <0.212 mm) were 2.3 ?? 0.2 m2/g for each size fraction. Reference minerals prepared in the same way as the tuff had smaller specific surface areas than that of the tuff of the same size fraction. Higher than expected tuff specific surface areas appear to be due to porous matrix. Tuff, reacted in solutions with pH values from 2 to 6, had little change in specific surface area in comparison with unreacted tuff. Tuff, reacted with solutions having high acid concentrations (0.1 M hydrochloric acid or sulfuric-hydrofluoric acid), exhibited a marked increase in specific surface area compared to unreacted tuff. ?? 1994.

Prediction of high-risk areas for visceral leishmaniasis using socioeconomic indicators and remote sensing data

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Spatial heterogeneity in the incidence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an important aspect to be considered in planning control actions for the disease. The objective of this study was to predict areas at high risk for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) based on socioeconomic indicators and remote sensing data. We applied classification and regression trees to develop and validate prediction models. Performance of the models was assessed by means of sensitivity, specificity and area under the ROC curve. The model developed was able to discriminate 15 subsets of census tracts (CT) with different probabilities of containing CT with high risk of VL occurrence. The model presented, respectively, in the validation and learning samples, sensitivity of 79% and 52%, specificity of 75% and 66%, and area under the ROC curve of 83% and 66%. Considering the complex network of factors involved in the occurrence of VL in urban areas, the results of this study showed that the development of a predictive model for VL might be feasible and useful for guiding interventions against the disease, but it is still a challenge as demonstrated by the unsatisfactory predictive performance of the model developed. PMID:24885128

Directory of aerospace safety specialized information sources, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubinstein, R. I.; Pinto, J. J.; Meschkow, S. Z.

1976-01-01

A handbook of organizations and experts in specific and well-defined areas of safety technology is presented. It is designed for the safety specialist as an aid for locating both information sources and individual points of contact (experts) in engineering related fields. The file covers sources of data in aerospace design, tests, and operations, as well as information on hazard and failure cause identification, accident analysis, and materials characteristics. Other related areas include the handling and transportation of hazardous chemicals, radioactive isotopes, and liquified natural gases.

Montana geothermal commercialization planning. Semi-annual progress report, January 1, 1979-June 30, 1979

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Birkby, J.; Brown, K.; Chapman, M.

1979-06-01

Area development plans were prepared which describe geothermal resources and their potential use on a county or multicounty basis. Development plans for two areas are presented. Cost analyses show that the proximity of the geothermal resource to the end user is the most important criterion in geothermal energy development. Thirteen tentative site-specific plans are being revised. The analysis of institutional factors affecting geothermal development, the outreach, and the state geothermal are discussed briefly. (MHR)

Usalpharma: A Cloud-Based Architecture to Support Quality Assurance Training Processes in Health Area Using Virtual Worlds

PubMed Central

García-Peñalvo, Francisco J.; Pérez-Blanco, Jonás Samuel; Martín-Suárez, Ana

2014-01-01

This paper discusses how cloud-based architectures can extend and enhance the functionality of the training environments based on virtual worlds and how, from this cloud perspective, we can provide support to analysis of training processes in the area of health, specifically in the field of training processes in quality assurance for pharmaceutical laboratories, presenting a tool for data retrieval and analysis that allows facing the knowledge discovery in the happenings inside the virtual worlds. PMID:24778593

Transmission research activities at NASA Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewicki, D. G.

1990-01-01

A joint research program, to advance the technology of rotorcraft transmissions, consists of analytical and experimental efforts to achieve the overall goals of reducing transmission weight and noise, while increasing life and reliability. Recent activities in the areas of transmission and related component research are highlighted. Current areas include specific technologies in support of military rotary wing aviation, gearing technology, transmission noise reduction studies, a recent interest in gearbox diagnostics, and advanced transmission system studies. Results of recent activities are presented along with near term research plans.

Applications of Tethers in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cron, A. C.

1985-01-01

The proceedings of the first workshop on applications of tethers in space are summarized. The workshop gathered personalities from industry, academic institutions and government to discuss the relatively new area of applied technology of very long tethers in space to a broad spectrum of future space missions. A large number of tethered concepts and configurations was presented covering electrodynamic interaction tethers, tethered transportation through angular momentum exchange, tethered constellations, low gravity utilization, applicable technology, and tethered test facilities. Specific recommendations were made to NASA in each area.

Mental problems and their socio-demographic determinants in young schoolchildren in Sweden, a country with high gender and income equality.

PubMed

Stenmark, Helena; Bergström, Erik; Hägglöf, Bruno; Öhman, Ann; Petersen, Solveig

2016-02-01

Mental problems and their potential socio-demographic determinants were investigated in young schoolchildren in Sweden, a high-income country in the top of income- and gender-equality rankings. Cross-sectional study of 1465 schoolchildren in grades 3 and 6. Mental health was measured by the Child Behavior Checklist and the Youth Self Report (Total problems and 14 specific problem areas). Potential socio-demographic determinants were sex, parental education and occupation, family structure, and immigrant status. Mental problems were present in 14% of the sixth graders and in 7% of the third graders. In grade 3, the mean total problem score was lower in girls than in boys, but the prevalence of problems at a subclinical/clinical level did not differ by sex. Furthermore, in nine to 13 of the 14 specific problem areas, problems were equally distributed by sex, parental education, parental occupation, immigrant status, and family structure. In grade 6, both the total mean score and the overall odds of subclinical/clinical problems were similar in girls and boys. Likewise, in all the specific problem areas, problems were evenly distributed by parental education and occupation, and only independently associated with immigrant status and family structure in one problem area. In five specific problem areas, boys had higher odds of problems than girls. This study shows that also in a relatively wealthy and equal country such as Sweden, mental problems are a significant child public health issue. The association between socio-demographic background and mental problems seems to be rather weak, but differ dependent on the type of mental problem in focus. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Study on resources and environmental data integration towards data warehouse construction covering trans-boundary area of China, Russia and Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.; Song, J.; Gao, M.; Zhu, L.

2014-02-01

The trans-boundary area between Northern China, Mongolia and eastern Siberia of Russia is a continuous geographical area located in north eastern Asia. Many common issues in this region need to be addressed based on a uniform resources and environmental data warehouse. Based on the practice of joint scientific expedition, the paper presented a data integration solution including 3 steps, i.e., data collection standards and specifications making, data reorganization and process, data warehouse design and development. A series of data collection standards and specifications were drawn up firstly covering more than 10 domains. According to the uniform standard, 20 resources and environmental survey databases in regional scale, and 11 in-situ observation databases were reorganized and integrated. North East Asia Resources and Environmental Data Warehouse was designed, which included 4 layers, i.e., resources layer, core business logic layer, internet interoperation layer, and web portal layer. The data warehouse prototype was developed and deployed initially. All the integrated data in this area can be accessed online.

Interim housing conditions profile, Benton and Franklin Counties, Washington: BWIP Repository Project: Working draft

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolton, P.A.

1987-11-01

This report describes the housing stock and its availability in Benton and Franklin counties. Depending on the specific measures, data are presented for the entire MSA, for Benton and Franklin counties separately, for incorporated and unincorporated areas within the counties, and for specific incorporated areas. The most detailed data are available for the two counties and for the major cities of Kennewick and Richland in Benton County and Pasco in Franklin County. In 1986, 64 percent of the population of Benton County and 66 percent of the housing units were in Kennewick and Richland. Seventy-three percent of the population andmore » 75 percent of the housing were in the incorporated area of Benton County. In Franklin County, Pasco accounted for 52 percent of the county's 1986 population and 57 percent of its housing. Fifty-nine percent of the population and 63 percent of the housing were in the incorporated areas of Franklin County. More detailed data are needed to fully describe the housing conditions in the jurisdictions described here. 13 refs., 9 tabs.« less

Gill area, permeability and Na+ ,K+ -ATPase activity as a function of size and salinity in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus.

PubMed

Li, Tiandao; Roer, Robert; Vana, Matthew; Pate, Susan; Check, Jennifer

2006-03-01

Juvenile blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, extensively utilize oligohaline and freshwater regions of the estuary. With a presumptively larger surface-area-to-body weight ratio, juvenile crabs could experience osmo- and ionoregulatory costs well in excess of that of adults. To test this hypothesis, crabs ranging over three orders of magnitude in body weight were acclimated to either sea water (1,000 mOsm) or dilute sea water (150 mOsm), and gill surface area, water and sodium permeabilities (calculated from the passive efflux of 3H2O and 22Na+), gill Na+, K+ -ATPase activity and expression were measured. Juveniles had a relatively larger gill surface area; weight-specific gill surface area decreased with body weight. Weight-specific water and sodium fluxes also decreased with weight, but not to the same extent as gill surface area; thus juveniles were able to decrease gill permeability slightly more than adults upon acclimation to dilute media. Crabs < 5 g in body weight had markedly higher activities of gill Na+ ,K+ -ATPase than crabs > 5 g in both posterior and anterior gills. Acclimation to dilute medium induced increased expression of Na+, K+ -ATPase and enzyme activity, but the increase was not as great in juveniles as in larger crabs. The increased weight-specific surface area for water gain and salt loss for small crabs in dilute media presents a challenge that is incompletely compensated by reduced permeability and increased affinity of gill Na+, K+ -ATPase for Na+. Juveniles maintain osmotic and ionic homeostasis by the expression and utilization of extremely high levels of gill Na+, K+ -ATPase, in posterior, as well as in anterior, gills. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Rotorcraft Dynamics 1984

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

In the conference proceedings are 24 presented papers, their discussions, and material given in two panels. The presented papers address the general areas of the dynamics of rotorcraft or helicopters. Specific topics include the stability of rotors in hover and forward flight, the stability of coupled rotor-fuselage systems in hover, the loads on a rotor in forward flight including new developments in rotor loads calculations, and the calculation of rotorcraft vibration and means for its control or suppression. Material in the first panel deals with the successful application of dynamics technology to engineering development of flight vehicles. Material in the second panel is concerned with large data bases in the area of rotorocraft dynamics and how they are developed, managed, and used.

Postnatal Development of Intrinsic Horizontal Axons in Macaque Inferior Temporal and Primary Visual Cortices.

PubMed

Wang, Quanxin; Tanigawa, Hisashi; Fujita, Ichiro

2017-04-01

Two distinct areas along the ventral visual stream of monkeys, the primary visual (V1) and inferior temporal (TE) cortices, exhibit different projection patterns of intrinsic horizontal axons with patchy terminal fields in adult animals. The differences between the patches in these 2 areas may reflect differences in cortical representation and processing of visual information. We studied the postnatal development of patches by injecting an anterograde tracer into TE and V1 in monkeys of various ages. At 1 week of age, labeled patches with distribution patterns reminiscent of those in adults were already present in both areas. The labeling intensity of patches decayed exponentially with projection distance in monkeys of all ages in both areas, but this trend was far less evident in TE. The number and extent of patches gradually decreased with age in V1, but not in TE. In V1, axonal and bouton densities increased postnatally only in patches with short projection distances, whereas in TE this density change occurred in patches with various projection distances. Thus, patches with area-specific distribution patterns are formed early in life, and area-specific postnatal developmental processes shape the connectivity of patches into adulthood. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Catalog of thermal waters in New Mexico. Hydrologic report 4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Summers, W.K.

1976-01-01

Waters at 67 locations in New Mexico discharge at anomalous temperatures. Details on these thermal water resources such as the location, temperature, discharge rate, field pH, and specific conductance are presented in 29 tables and 47 figures. Included also are 244 chemical analyses of water from 38 areas.

Policy Recommendations for Health Professions Education. Item #7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Board of Higher Education, Springfield.

This report presents recommendations for Illinois' Board of Higher Education's approval in the areas of: (1) general policies for health professions education, (2) the adoption of immediate program priorities to implement the general policy directions in health education programs, and (3) specific recommendations for adjustments in Health Services…

Developing a Watershed Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roman, Harry T.

2010-01-01

This article presents a watershed challenge that gives students an opportunity to investigate the challenge of using a watershed area as a site for development, examining the many aspects of this multifaceted problem. This design challenge could work well in a team-based format, with students taking on specific aspects of the challenges and…

Perceptions of Cyberbullying: An Assessment of Perceived Severity among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobba, Kristen N.; Paez, Rocio Alejandra; ten Bensel, Tusty

2017-01-01

Cyberbullying research has typically been focused on specific areas, such as victimization, offender characteristics and typologies, and psychological effects for victims; however, perceived severity of cyberbullying has been studied less extensively. Using data on college students, the present study expands the current knowledge on perceived…

Identification of Tasks in Photo-Offset Lithography Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iowa State Dept. of Public Instruction, Des Moines. Div. of Career Education.

The research project was designed to provide data pertaining to performance tasks in specific occupations in various areas of vocational/technical education. The data presented in the document is intended to be used to develop appropriate objectives and curricular content to assist in the preparation of individuals entering the specific…

Compendium of Military Allied Health Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Medical Association, Chicago, IL.

A broad overview of the military allied health educational system and specific information on individual courses are presented. A listing of the military allied health educational programs accredited by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation and a job description for each of the 24 accredited occupational areas are included. A…

Exploring Visual Arts and Crafts Careers. A Student Guidebook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubman, Shelia; And Others

One of six student guidebooks in a series of 11 arts and humanities career exploration guides for grade 7-12 teachers, counselors, and students, this student book on exploration of visual arts and crafts careers presents information on specific occupations in seven different career areas: Visual communications, product design, environmental…

Delineating Personality Traits in Childhood and Adolescence: Associations across Measures, Temperament, and Behavioral Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tackett, Jennifer L.; Kushner, Shauna C.; De Fruyt, Filip; Mervielde, Ivan

2013-01-01

The current investigation addressed several questions in the burgeoning area of child personality assessment. Specifically, the present study examined overlapping and nonoverlapping variance in two prominent measures of child personality assessment, followed by tests of convergent and divergent validity with child temperament and psychopathology.…

A Practical Approach to Sex Fair Performance Evaluation in Secondary Physical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGonagle, Kenneth; Stevens, Ann

A method of sex-fair performance evaluation is presented which can be used in coeducational secondary school physical education classes. This method tallies specific skill areas associated with athletic activities, disregarding such concepts as student improvement, level of competition, participation, effort, and exact skill measurement.…

NAESP 2009-2010 Platform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), 2010

2010-01-01

The NAESP (National Association of Elementary School Principals) Platform consists of a summary of all resolutions adopted by business meetings and, since 1974, by Delegate Assemblies. Each resolution presented for action by the Delegate Assembly carries with it a rationale for its adoption as well as the specific area and section of the Platform…

The American Indian: A Microcourse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glick, Norman; And Others

Designed for secondary students and dealing with the concept of ethnicity in an urban setting, this microcourse on the American Indian presents general information on American Indians and an in-depth study of Indians within the Chicago, Illinois area. Included in this curriculum guide are: seven specific behavioral objectives; course content (some…

Toward an Instructionally Oriented Theory of Example-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renkl, Alexander

2014-01-01

Learning from examples is a very effective means of initial cognitive skill acquisition. There is an enormous body of research on the specifics of this learning method. This article presents an instructionally oriented theory of example-based learning that integrates theoretical assumptions and findings from three research areas: learning from…

Colorado geothermal commercialization program: community development of geothermal energy in Pagosa Springs, Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coe, B.A.

1980-01-01

A district heating system for the Pagosa Springs central business district is in the planning stage. A detailed analysis of the project is presented. It comprises area and site specific studies and describes in detail the recent, current, anticipated, and postulated geothermal development activities. (MHR)

The hardwoods of California's timberlands, woodlands, and savannas.

Treesearch

Charles L. Bolsinger

1988-01-01

The results of a statewide inventory of California's hardwood resources are presented. This is the first comprehensive inventory with tree and stand measurements ever conducted in the extensive oak woodlands. In timberland areas where hardwoods had been previously inventoried, improved procedures and volume equations developed specifically for the major California...

A complex permittivity model for field estimation of soil water contents using time domain reflectometry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Accurate electromagnetic sensing of soil water contents (') under field conditions is complicated by the dependence of permittivity on specific surface area, temperature, and apparent electrical conductivity, all which may vary across space or time. We present a physically-based mixing model to pred...

International Marketing: A Teaching Prospectus.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terzin, Margaret A.

Three designs for a course in international marketing are described. The first requires a team of three to four students to research a designated country according to specific guidelines to determine which American products would sell best in that country. This project requires a written paper and an oral presentation. The five areas investigated…

Possibilities of Cooperation with Eastern Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horvath, Attila

This paper presents possible methods of cooperation in the area of U.S. educational exchange with Hungary and other Eastern Bloc countries. Specific problems are featured, and information is provided about legal, political, and economic issues and concerns. The paper stresses the need to stop thinking of these countries as politically homogeneous…

Exploring Music Careers. A Student Guidebook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornell, Richard; And Others

One of six student guidebooks in a series of 11 arts and humanities career exploration guides for grade 7-12 teachers, counselors, and students, this student book on exploration of writing careers presents information on specific occupations in five different career areas: Performing musicians, technology in music, arts management, the music…

Incorporating Disciplinary Literacy in Technology and Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loveland, Thomas

2014-01-01

This article presents an overview of how to relate reading to a content area, specifically technology education. The author notes that, with the new focus on Common Core English Language Arts State Standards and state-developed standards, technology and engineering teachers should include disciplinary literacy in their curriculum. Academic…

Teaching Methodologies and Course Contents in International Finance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garg, Ramesh C.

A guide to designing a course in international finance and multinational corporations is presented. It offers a rationale for such a course, discusses its primary goals, suggests two possible course orientations (professional or theoretical) and desirable or necessary prerequisites, and recommends specific course content areas and subareas. Types…

Solution blow spun spinel ferrite and highly porous silica nanofibers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The novelty of this work is the production of nano- and submicrometric silica and spinel-ferrite fibers using the solution blow spinning (SBS) method. A pseudo-core-shell method for the production of large surface area silica fibers is also reported. Silica fibers present mean diameters and specific...

Comprehension Across the Curriculum: Perspectives and Practices K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganske, Kathy, Ed.; Fisher, Douglas, Ed.

2009-01-01

Successful students use comprehension skills and strategies throughout the school day. In this timely book, leading scholars present innovative ways to support reading comprehension across content areas and the full K-12 grade range. Chapters provide specific, practical guidance for selecting rewarding texts and promoting engagement and…

Another Look at the Language Difficulties of International Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Yanyin; Mi, Yinan

2010-01-01

International students encounter language-related problems in their academic studies. Specific problem areas have been identified and possible underlying causes have been explored. The present study investigates the impact of two variables--length of study and academic disciplines--in relation to the problems. The findings from a survey and…

Knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy amongst students in the health area: intervention aimed at enlightenment.

PubMed

Tedrus, Glória Maria A S; Fonseca, Lineu Corrêa; Vieira, Ana Lídia da Câmara

2007-12-01

It is known that there is a lack of knowledge about epilepsy amongst the population in general, with consequent prejudice and discrimination towards epileptic patients. Considering the importance of health professionals in the diffusion of knowledge about this neurological condition, the objective of the present study was to evaluate modifications in the knowledge and attitudes of students in the health area with respect to epilepsy, after an intervention including the presentation of specific audio-visual material and a discussion on the basic aspects of epilepsy. Simple self-administered questionnaires were applied to one hundred and sixteen health area students before and after the session of enlightenment. After the session there was significant (p<0.05) improvement in answers to different questions about etiology, epidemiology, education, work, and attitude during the seizure. The results suggest the need to include a routine low complexity educational activity in the curriculum of various courses in the health area.

Broadcasting satellite feeder links - Characteristics and planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiebler, J. W.

1982-01-01

The paper presents the results of recent studies by the Feeder Link Sub-Working Group of the FCC Advisory Committee for the 1983 Regional Administrative Radio Conference (RARC). These studies conclude that specification of a few key parameters will make feeder link planning relatively straightforward. Feeder links can be located anywhere within a country if satellite orbit locations are separated by 10 deg for adjacent service areas and key parameter values presented in the paper are adopted. Colocated satellites serving a common service area need special attention to attain sufficient isolation between a desired channel and its adjacent cross-polarized channels and alternate co-polarized channels. In addition to presenting planning conclusions by the Advisory Committee, the paper presents and analyzes actions of the International Radio Consultative Committee's Conference Planning Meeting (CPM) concerning feeder links. The CPM reached conclusions similar to, and compatible with, those of the Advisory Committee.

Quantification of plaque area and characterization of plaque biochemical composition with atherosclerosis progression in ApoE/LDLR(-/-) mice by FT-IR imaging.

PubMed

Wrobel, Tomasz P; Mateuszuk, Lukasz; Kostogrys, Renata B; Chlopicki, Stefan; Baranska, Malgorzata

2013-11-07

In this work the quantitative determination of atherosclerotic lesion area (ApoE/LDLR(-/-) mice) by FT-IR imaging is presented and validated by comparison with atherosclerotic lesion area determination by classic Oil Red O staining. Cluster analysis of FT-IR-based measurements in the 2800-3025 cm(-1) range allowed for quantitative analysis of the atherosclerosis plaque area, the results of which were highly correlated with those of Oil Red O histological staining (R(2) = 0.935). Moreover, a specific class obtained from a second cluster analysis of the aortic cross-section samples at different stages of disease progression (3, 4 and 6 months old) seemed to represent the macrophages (CD68) area within the atherosclerotic plaque.

OPS MCC level B/C formulation requirements: Area targets and space volumes processor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, M. J., Jr.

1979-01-01

The level B/C mathematical specifications for the area targets and space volumes processor (ATSVP) are described. The processor is designed to compute the acquisition-of-signal (AOS) and loss-of-signal (LOS) times for area targets and space volumes. The characteristics of the area targets and space volumes are given. The mathematical equations necessary to determine whether the spacecraft lies within the area target or space volume are given. These equations provide a detailed model of the target geometry. A semianalytical technique for predicting the AOS and LOS time periods is disucssed. This technique was designed to bound the actual visibility period using a simplified target geometry model and unperturbed orbital motion. Functional overview of the ATSVP is presented and it's detailed logic flow is described.

A word by any other intonation: fMRI evidence for implicit memory traces for pitch contours of spoken words in adult brains.

PubMed

Inspector, Michael; Manor, David; Amir, Noam; Kushnir, Tamar; Karni, Avi

2013-01-01

Intonation may serve as a cue for facilitated recognition and processing of spoken words and it has been suggested that the pitch contour of spoken words is implicitly remembered. Thus, using the repetition suppression (RS) effect of BOLD-fMRI signals, we tested whether the same spoken words are differentially processed in language and auditory brain areas depending on whether or not they retain an arbitrary intonation pattern. Words were presented repeatedly in three blocks for passive and active listening tasks. There were three prosodic conditions in each of which a different set of words was used and specific task-irrelevant intonation changes were applied: (i) All words presented in a set flat monotonous pitch contour (ii) Each word had an arbitrary pitch contour that was set throughout the three repetitions. (iii) Each word had a different arbitrary pitch contour in each of its repetition. The repeated presentations of words with a set pitch contour, resulted in robust behavioral priming effects as well as in significant RS of the BOLD signals in primary auditory cortex (BA 41), temporal areas (BA 21 22) bilaterally and in Broca's area. However, changing the intonation of the same words on each successive repetition resulted in reduced behavioral priming and the abolition of RS effects. Intonation patterns are retained in memory even when the intonation is task-irrelevant. Implicit memory traces for the pitch contour of spoken words were reflected in facilitated neuronal processing in auditory and language associated areas. Thus, the results lend support for the notion that prosody and specifically pitch contour is strongly associated with the memory representation of spoken words.

[Spatial distribution and ecological structure of Thalassia testudinum (Hydrocharitaceae) in two reefs of Veracruz Reef System National Park, Mexico].

PubMed

Arellano-Méndez, Leonardo U; Bello-Pineda, Javier; Aké-Castillo, José A; Pérez-España, Horacio; Martínez-Cardenas, Leonardo

2016-06-01

Seagrasses in coastal environments have been threatened by increased human activities; these have negatively altered processes and environmental services, and have decreased grassland areas. The aim of this study was to generate knowledge of Thalassia testudinum distribution, state of the structure and fragmentation level in two reefs of the Veracruz Reef System National Park (PNSAV). Two different reefs were selected: Sacrificios in the North and near the coast, and Cabezo in the South and away from the coast. Shoot-specific and area-specific characteristics of submerged macrophytes meadows present were determined, and four morpho-functional groups were identified. Significant differences between plant coverage were tested through nonparametric ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test. A supervised classification of spatial high-resolution image verified with field data was performed (55 Sacrificios and 290 Cabezo). The fragmentation level was calculated using landscape metrics, class level and thematic maps were made based on four covers. The meadows were dominated by Thalassia testudinum; maximum densities were 208 shoot/m2 in Cabezo, and 176 shoot/m2 in Sacrificios. Cabezo presented grasses with short (9 cm) and thin leaves (0.55 cm) on average; while Sacrificios showed longer (23.5 cm) and thicker (1 cm) leaves. Sacrificios showed lower fragmentation degree than Cabezo; in both cases, the vegetation cover fragmentation corresponded to less than 50 %. Although Cabezo reef presents further fragmentation, which creates a large number of microenvironments, being recognized for its importance as recruitment area. This work serves as a baseline for the creation of an adequate management plan (formation of a core area of Cabezo). It is necessary to complement this work with new efforts for the recognition of seagrass prairies in all PNSAV reefs, as well as periodic monitoring and recognition of ecosystem services. .

A Word by Any Other Intonation: FMRI Evidence for Implicit Memory Traces for Pitch Contours of Spoken Words in Adult Brains

PubMed Central

Inspector, Michael; Manor, David; Amir, Noam; Kushnir, Tamar; Karni, Avi

2013-01-01

Objectives Intonation may serve as a cue for facilitated recognition and processing of spoken words and it has been suggested that the pitch contour of spoken words is implicitly remembered. Thus, using the repetition suppression (RS) effect of BOLD-fMRI signals, we tested whether the same spoken words are differentially processed in language and auditory brain areas depending on whether or not they retain an arbitrary intonation pattern. Experimental design Words were presented repeatedly in three blocks for passive and active listening tasks. There were three prosodic conditions in each of which a different set of words was used and specific task-irrelevant intonation changes were applied: (i) All words presented in a set flat monotonous pitch contour (ii) Each word had an arbitrary pitch contour that was set throughout the three repetitions. (iii) Each word had a different arbitrary pitch contour in each of its repetition. Principal findings The repeated presentations of words with a set pitch contour, resulted in robust behavioral priming effects as well as in significant RS of the BOLD signals in primary auditory cortex (BA 41), temporal areas (BA 21 22) bilaterally and in Broca's area. However, changing the intonation of the same words on each successive repetition resulted in reduced behavioral priming and the abolition of RS effects. Conclusions Intonation patterns are retained in memory even when the intonation is task-irrelevant. Implicit memory traces for the pitch contour of spoken words were reflected in facilitated neuronal processing in auditory and language associated areas. Thus, the results lend support for the notion that prosody and specifically pitch contour is strongly associated with the memory representation of spoken words. PMID:24391713

Decoding Reveals Plasticity in V3A as a Result of Motion Perceptual Learning

PubMed Central

Shibata, Kazuhisa; Chang, Li-Hung; Kim, Dongho; Náñez, José E.; Kamitani, Yukiyasu; Watanabe, Takeo; Sasaki, Yuka

2012-01-01

Visual perceptual learning (VPL) is defined as visual performance improvement after visual experiences. VPL is often highly specific for a visual feature presented during training. Such specificity is observed in behavioral tuning function changes with the highest improvement centered on the trained feature and was originally thought to be evidence for changes in the early visual system associated with VPL. However, results of neurophysiological studies have been highly controversial concerning whether the plasticity underlying VPL occurs within the visual cortex. The controversy may be partially due to the lack of observation of neural tuning function changes in multiple visual areas in association with VPL. Here using human subjects we systematically compared behavioral tuning function changes after global motion detection training with decoded tuning function changes for 8 visual areas using pattern classification analysis on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals. We found that the behavioral tuning function changes were extremely highly correlated to decoded tuning function changes only in V3A, which is known to be highly responsive to global motion with human subjects. We conclude that VPL of a global motion detection task involves plasticity in a specific visual cortical area. PMID:22952849

Facile Synthesis of Novel Networked Ultralong Cobalt Sulfide Nanotubes and Its Application in Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Liu, Sangui; Mao, Cuiping; Niu, Yubin; Yi, Fenglian; Hou, Junke; Lu, Shiyu; Jiang, Jian; Xu, Maowen; Li, Changming

2015-11-25

Ultralong cobalt sulfide (CoS(1.097)) nanotube networks are synthesized by a simple one-step solvothermal method without any surfactant or template. A possible formation mechanism for the growth processes is proposed. Owing to the hollow structure and large specific area, the novel CoS(1.097) materials present outstanding electrochemical properties. Electrochemical measurements for supercapacitors show that the as-prepared ultralong CoS(1.097) nanotube networks exhibit high specific capacity, good capacity retention, and excellent Coulombic efficiency.

Challenges in pediatric ambulatory anesthesia: kids are different.

PubMed

Collins, Corey E; Everett, Lucinda L

2010-06-01

The care of the child having ambulatory surgery presents a specific set of challenges to the anesthesia provider. This review focuses on areas of clinical distinction that support the additional attention children often require, and on clinical controversies that require providers to have up-to-date information to guide practice and address parental concerns. These include perioperative risk; obstructive sleep apnea; obesity; postoperative nausea and vomiting; neurocognitive outcomes; and specific concerns regarding common ear, nose, and throat procedures. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

77 FR 37402 - Data Specifications for Collecting Study Area Boundaries

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-21

... for Collecting Study Area Boundaries AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Notice... specifications for collecting study area boundaries for purposes of implementing various reforms adopted as part..., the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) proposes data specifications for collecting study area...

Political economy of transnational water pollution: what do the LMB data (1985-2000) say?

PubMed

Guo, Rongxing; Yang, Kaizhong

2003-10-01

On the basis of the cross-section and time-series data of the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB)--including large sections of Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam, and Cambodia, we find little evidence in support of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Instead, our regressions support the general views that water pollution had been positively related to income level and that, as a result of the end of the Cold War era, it had been significantly reduced in the 1990s vis-à-vis the 1980s. In most circumstances, water resources were more seriously polluted in the transnational border areas than in the other areas. Specifically, the estimated coefficients on the political boundary dummies show that political influence on transnational water pollution was more significant in areas near "the international border along which the river runs" (denoted by BORDER2) than in places near "the international border across which the river runs" (denoted by BORDER1). The estimated coefficients on the ASEAN dummy present some information about the positive role of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) membership in the reduction of transnational water pollution. Finally, the country-specific dummies are found to present conflicting information about the transnational differences of water pollution, although Thailand is found to have the least water pollution in the LMB.

Navigating future uncertainty in marine protected area governance: Lessons from the Scottish MPA network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopkins, Charlotte Rachael; Bailey, David Mark; Potts, Tavis

2018-07-01

As international pressure for marine protection has increased, Scotland has increased spatial protection through the development of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) network. Few MPA networks to date have included specific considerations of climate change in the design, monitoring or management of the network. The Scottish MPA network followed a feature-led approach to identify a series of MPAs across the Scottish marine area and incorporated the diverse views of many different stakeholders. This feature led approach has led to wide ranging opinions and understandings regarding the success of the MPA network. Translating ideas of success into a policy approach whilst also considering how climate change may affect these ideas of success is a complex challenge. This paper presents the results of a Delphi process that aimed to facilitate clear communication between academics, policy makers and stakeholders in order to identify specific climate change considerations applicable to the Scottish MPA network. This study engaged a group of academic and non-academic stakeholders to discuss potential options that could be translated into an operational process for management of the MPA network. The results of Delphi process discussion are presented with the output of a management matrix tool, which could aid in future decisions for MPA management under scenarios of climate change.

Comprehensive analysis of area-specific and time-dependent changes in gene expression in the motor cortex of macaque monkeys during recovery from spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Higo, Noriyuki; Sato, Akira; Yamamoto, Tatsuya; Oishi, Takao; Nishimura, Yukio; Murata, Yumi; Onoe, Hirotaka; Isa, Tadashi; Kojima, Toshio

2018-05-01

The present study aimed to assess the molecular bases of cortical compensatory mechanisms following spinal cord injury in primates. To accomplish this, comprehensive changes in gene expression were investigated in the bilateral primary motor cortex (M1), dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), and ventral premotor cortex (PMv) after a unilateral lesion of the lateral corticospinal tract (l-CST). At 2 weeks after the lesion, a large number of genes exhibited altered expression levels in the contralesional M1, which is directly linked to the lesioned l-CST. Gene ontology and network analyses indicated that these changes in gene expression are involved in the atrophy and plasticity changes observed in neurons. Orchestrated gene expression changes were present when behavioral recovery was attained 3 months after the lesion, particularly among the bilateral premotor areas, and a large number of these genes are involved in plasticity. Moreover, several genes abundantly expressed in M1 of intact monkeys were upregulated in both the PMd and PMv after the l-CST lesion. These area-specific and time-dependent changes in gene expression may underlie the molecular mechanisms of functional recovery following a lesion of the l-CST. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell/Gas Turbine Hybrid Cycle Technology for Auxiliary Aerospace Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steffen, Christopher J., Jr.; Freeh, Joshua E.; Larosiliere, Louis M.

2005-01-01

A notional 440 kW auxiliary power unit has been developed for 300 passenger commercial transport aircraft in 2015AD. A hybrid engine using solid-oxide fuel cell stacks and a gas turbine bottoming cycle has been considered. Steady-state performance analysis during cruise operation has been presented. Trades between performance efficiency and system mass were conducted with system specific energy as the discriminator. Fuel cell performance was examined with an area specific resistance. The ratio of fuel cell versus turbine power was explored through variable fuel utilization. Area specific resistance, fuel utilization, and mission length had interacting effects upon system specific energy. During cruise operation, the simple cycle fuel cell/gas turbine hybrid was not able to outperform current turbine-driven generators for system specific energy, despite a significant improvement in system efficiency. This was due in part to the increased mass of the hybrid engine, and the increased water flow required for on-board fuel reformation. Two planar, anode-supported cell design concepts were considered. Designs that seek to minimize the metallic interconnect layer mass were seen to have a large effect upon the system mass estimates.

Disaggregating and mapping crop statistics using hypertemporal remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, M. R.; de Bie, C. A. J. M.; van Keulen, H.; Smaling, E. M. A.; Real, R.

2010-02-01

Governments compile their agricultural statistics in tabular form by administrative area, which gives no clue to the exact locations where specific crops are actually grown. Such data are poorly suited for early warning and assessment of crop production. 10-Daily satellite image time series of Andalucia, Spain, acquired since 1998 by the SPOT Vegetation Instrument in combination with reported crop area statistics were used to produce the required crop maps. Firstly, the 10-daily (1998-2006) 1-km resolution SPOT-Vegetation NDVI-images were used to stratify the study area in 45 map units through an iterative unsupervised classification process. Each unit represents an NDVI-profile showing changes in vegetation greenness over time which is assumed to relate to the types of land cover and land use present. Secondly, the areas of NDVI-units and the reported cropped areas by municipality were used to disaggregate the crop statistics. Adjusted R-squares were 98.8% for rainfed wheat, 97.5% for rainfed sunflower, and 76.5% for barley. Relating statistical data on areas cropped by municipality with the NDVI-based unit map showed that the selected crops were significantly related to specific NDVI-based map units. Other NDVI-profiles did not relate to the studied crops and represented other types of land use or land cover. The results were validated by using primary field data. These data were collected by the Spanish government from 2001 to 2005 through grid sampling within agricultural areas; each grid (block) contains three 700 m × 700 m segments. The validation showed 68%, 31% and 23% variability explained (adjusted R-squares) between the three produced maps and the thousands of segment data. Mainly variability within the delineated NDVI-units caused relatively low values; the units are internally heterogeneous. Variability between units is properly captured. The maps must accordingly be considered "small scale maps". These maps can be used to monitor crop performance of specific cropped areas because of using hypertemporal images. Early warning thus becomes more location and crop specific because of using hypertemporal remote sensing.

Overview of FAR-TECH's magnetic fusion energy research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jin-Soo; Bogatu, I. N.; Galkin, S. A.; Spencer, J. Andrew; Svidzinski, V. A.; Zhao, L.

2017-10-01

FAR-TECH, Inc. has been working on magnetic fusion energy research over two-decades. During the years, we have developed unique approaches to help understanding the physics, and resolving issues in magnetic fusion energy. The specific areas of work have been in modeling RF waves in plasmas, MHD modeling and mode-identification, and nano-particle plasma jet and its application to disruption mitigation. Our research highlights in recent years will be presented with examples, specifically, developments of FullWave (Full Wave RF code), PMARS (Parallelized MARS code), and HEM (Hybrid ElectroMagnetic code). In addition, nano-particle plasma-jet (NPPJ) and its application for disruption mitigation will be presented. Work is supported by the U.S. DOE SBIR program.

Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Brownsville-McAllen NTMS Quadrangles, Texas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1980-09-30

Results of a reconnaissance geochemical survey of the Brownsville-McAllen Quadrangles, Texas are reported. Field and laboratory data are presented for 427 groundwater and 171 stream sediment samples. Statistical and areal distributions of uranium and possible uranium-related variables are displayed. Pertinent geologic factors which may be of significance in evaluating the potential for uranium mineralization are briefly discussed. Groundwater data indicate the most promising area for potential uranium mineralization occurs in the northwestern section of the quadrangles (Jim Hogg, Starr, and Zapata Counties), where waters are derived from the Catahoula Formation. These groundwaters have high concentrations of uranium, uranium associated elements,more » and low values for specific conductance. Another area with high uranium concentrations is in the southeastern portion of the survey area (Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy Counties). Shallow wells <10 m (30 ft) are numerous in this area and high specific conductance values may indicate contamination from extensive fertilization. Stream sediment data for the survey does not indicate an area favorable for uranium mineralization. Anomalous acid soluble uranium values in the southeastern area (Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy Counties) can be attributed to phosphate fertilizer contamination. Four samples in the western part of the area (western Starr County) have anomalously high total uranium values and low acid soluble uranium values, indicating the uranium may be contained in resistate minerals.« less

Distributed photovoltaic systems: Utility interface issues and their present status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hassan, M.; Klein, J.

1981-01-01

Major technical issues involving the integration of distributed photovoltaics (PV) into electric utility systems are defined and their impacts are described quantitatively. An extensive literature search, interviews, and analysis yielded information about the work in progress and highlighted problem areas in which additional work and research are needed. The findings from the literature search were used to determine whether satisfactory solutions to the problems exist or whether satisfactory approaches to a solution are underway. It was discovered that very few standards, specifications, or guidelines currently exist that will aid industry in integrating PV into the utility system. Specific areas of concern identified are: (1) protection, (2) stability, (3) system unbalance, (4) voltage regulation and reactive power requirements, (5) harmonics, (6) utility operations, (7) safety, (8) metering, and (9) distribution system planning and design.

Studies concerning the decontamination of hydrocarbons- polluted soil areas using bioremediation techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deac, C.; Barbulescu, A.; Gligor, A.; Bibu, M.; Petrescu, V.

2016-11-01

The accidental or historic contamination of soils with hydrocarbons, in areas crossed by oil pipelines or where oil- or gas-extraction installations are located, is a major concern and has significant financial and ecological consequences, both for the owners of those areas and for the oil transportation or exploitation companies. Therefore it is very important to find the optimal method for removing the pollution. The current paper presents measures, mainly involving bioremediation, recommended and applied for the depollution of a contaminated area in Romania. While the topic of dealing with polluted soils is well-established in the Romanian speciality literature, bioremediation is a relatively novel approach and this paper presents important considerations in this regard. Contaminated soil samples were taken from 10 different locations within the targeted area and subjected to a thorough physical and chemical analysis, which led to determining a specific scoring table for assessing the bioremediation potential of the various samples. This has allowed the authors to establish for each of the sampled areas the best mix of factors such as nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), gypsum, microelements etc., that would lead to obtaining the best results in terms of the contaminants' biodegradation.

Development of an indirect ELISA based on the recombinant Spm2 protein for detection of tropical theileriosis.

PubMed

Tian, Zhancheng; Du, Xiaoyue; Du, Junzheng; Gao, Shandian; Yu, Ruiming; Hassan, Muhammad Adeel; Liu, Guangyuan; Luo, Jianxun; Yin, Hong

2018-06-01

Tropical theileriosis, caused by Theileria annulata, is distributed worldwide and causes great economic losses in dairy. The reliable diagnostic method is critical for prevention and control of the disease. In this study, a sporozoite and macroschizont gene 2 (spm2) protein from T. annulata was used to develop an indirect ELISA for tropical theileriosis. Specificity test showed that there were no cross-reactions with antibodies raised against other bovine piroplasm species using ELISA or western blotting. The specificity and sensitivity were 98.4% and 98.7%, respectively, with a threshold of 35.5% of the specific mean antibody rate (AbR). Furthermore, a total of 196 field sera samples collected from Xinjiang and Gansu provinces were detected by the spm2 ELISA and IFA. The results obtained with the spm2 ELISA and IFA in this study had the moderate agreement. The average positive rates of T. annulata sera samples detected in the present study were close to the prevalence of previous reports in these endemic areas. This indicated that the Spm2 ELISA could be used as a reliable diagnostic tool for serological survey of T. annulata infection in areas where Theileria parva is not present. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Spiking Neurocomputational Model of High-Frequency Oscillatory Brain Responses to Words and Pseudowords

PubMed Central

Garagnani, Max; Lucchese, Guglielmo; Tomasello, Rosario; Wennekers, Thomas; Pulvermüller, Friedemann

2017-01-01

Experimental evidence indicates that neurophysiological responses to well-known meaningful sensory items and symbols (such as familiar objects, faces, or words) differ from those to matched but novel and senseless materials (unknown objects, scrambled faces, and pseudowords). Spectral responses in the high beta- and gamma-band have been observed to be generally stronger to familiar stimuli than to unfamiliar ones. These differences have been hypothesized to be caused by the activation of distributed neuronal circuits or cell assemblies, which act as long-term memory traces for learned familiar items only. Here, we simulated word learning using a biologically constrained neurocomputational model of the left-hemispheric cortical areas known to be relevant for language and conceptual processing. The 12-area spiking neural-network architecture implemented replicates physiological and connectivity features of primary, secondary, and higher-association cortices in the frontal, temporal, and occipital lobes of the human brain. We simulated elementary aspects of word learning in it, focussing specifically on semantic grounding in action and perception. As a result of spike-driven Hebbian synaptic plasticity mechanisms, distributed, stimulus-specific cell-assembly (CA) circuits spontaneously emerged in the network. After training, presentation of one of the learned “word” forms to the model correlate of primary auditory cortex induced periodic bursts of activity within the corresponding CA, leading to oscillatory phenomena in the entire network and spontaneous across-area neural synchronization. Crucially, Morlet wavelet analysis of the network's responses recorded during presentation of learned meaningful “word” and novel, senseless “pseudoword” patterns revealed stronger induced spectral power in the gamma-band for the former than the latter, closely mirroring differences found in neurophysiological data. Furthermore, coherence analysis of the simulated responses uncovered dissociated category specific patterns of synchronous oscillations in distant cortical areas, including indirectly connected primary sensorimotor areas. Bridging the gap between cellular-level mechanisms, neuronal-population behavior, and cognitive function, the present model constitutes the first spiking, neurobiologically, and anatomically realistic model able to explain high-frequency oscillatory phenomena indexing language processing on the basis of dynamics and competitive interactions of distributed cell-assembly circuits which emerge in the brain as a result of Hebbian learning and sensorimotor experience. PMID:28149276

The Influence of verbalization on the pattern of cortical activation during mental arithmetic

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The aim of the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study at 3 T was to investigate the influence of the verbal-visual cognitive style on cerebral activation patterns during mental arithmetic. In the domain of arithmetic, a visual style might for example mean to visualize numbers and (intermediate) results, and a verbal style might mean, that numbers and (intermediate) results are verbally repeated. In this study, we investigated, first, whether verbalizers show activations in areas for language processing, and whether visualizers show activations in areas for visual processing during mental arithmetic. Some researchers have proposed that the left and right intraparietal sulcus (IPS), and the left angular gyrus (AG), two areas involved in number processing, show some domain or modality specificity. That is, verbal for the left AG, and visual for the left and right IPS. We investigated, second, whether the activation in these areas implied in number processing depended on an individual's cognitive style. Methods 42 young healthy adults participated in the fMRI study. The study comprised two functional sessions. In the first session, subtraction and multiplication problems were presented in an event-related design, and in the second functional session, multiplications were presented in two formats, as Arabic numerals and as written number words, in an event-related design. The individual's habitual use of visualization and verbalization during mental arithmetic was assessed by a short self-report assessment. Results We observed in both functional sessions that the use of verbalization predicts activation in brain areas associated with language (supramarginal gyrus) and auditory processing (Heschl's gyrus, Rolandic operculum). However, we found no modulation of activation in the left AG as a function of verbalization. Conclusions Our results confirm that strong verbalizers use mental speech as a form of mental imagination more strongly than weak verbalizers. Moreover, our results suggest that the left AG has no specific affinity to the verbal domain and subserves number processing in a modality-general way. PMID:22404872

Planialtimetric Evaluation of a CARTOSAT-1 Stereo Pair - Case Study: SÃO SEBASTIÃO, SP, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barros, R. S.; Cruz, C. B. M.; Rabaco, L. M. L.

2012-07-01

It is noticed a significant increase in the development of orbital and airborne sensors that enable the extraction of three-dimensional data. So, it's important the increment of studies about the quality of altimetric values derived from these sensors to verify if the improvements implemented in the acquisition of data may influence the results. In this context, as part of a larger project that aims to evaluate the accuracy of various sensors, this work aims to analysis the planialtimetric accuracy of DEM generated from Cartosat-1 stereo pair. The project was developed for an area near the city of São Sebastião, located in the basin of the North Coast of São Paulo state, in Brasil. The relief in this area is very steep, with a predominance of dense forest vegetation, typical of the Atlantic Forest. All points in this assessment have been established in the field, with the use of single frequency (L1) GNSS receivers, through static relative positioning. In this work it was considered the Brazilian standard specifications (PEC, in Portuguese) for classification of cartographic bases. Results may be considered very good and showed that Cartosat-1 orthoimage presents accuracy equivalent to class B for 1:10.000 scale. The DEM presents altimetric accuracy compatible with class A of the 1:25.000 scale. Results obtained are true for this specific area/study case, but may vary in case different scenes or other studies areas are considered.

High surface area electrodes by template-free self-assembled hierarchical porous gold architecture.

PubMed

Morag, Ahiud; Golub, Tatiana; Becker, James; Jelinek, Raz

2016-06-15

The electrode active surface area is a crucial determinant in many electrochemical applications and devices. Porous metal substrates have been employed in electrode design, however construction of such materials generally involves multistep processes, generating in many instances electrodes exhibiting incomplete access to internal pore surfaces. Here we describe fabrication of electrodes comprising hierarchical, nano-to-microscale porous gold matrix, synthesized through spontaneous crystallization of gold thiocyanate in water. Cyclic voltammetry analysis revealed that the specific surface area of the conductive nanoporous Au microwires was very high and depended only upon the amount of gold used, not electrode areas or geometries. Application of the electrode in a pseudo-capacitor device is presented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strategies for using remotely sensed data in hydrologic models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peck, E. L.; Keefer, T. N.; Johnson, E. R. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

Present and planned remote sensing capabilities were evaluated. The usefulness of six remote sensing capabilities (soil moisture, land cover, impervious area, areal extent of snow cover, areal extent of frozen ground, and water equivalent of the snow cover) with seven hydrologic models (API, CREAMS, NWSRFS, STORM, STANFORD, SSARR, and NWSRFS Snowmelt) were reviewed. The results indicate remote sensing information has only limited value for use with the hydrologic models in their present form. With minor modifications to the models the usefulness would be enhanced. Specific recommendations are made for incorporating snow covered area measurements in the NWSRFS Snowmelt model. Recommendations are also made for incorporating soil moisture measurements in NWSRFS. Suggestions are made for incorporating snow covered area, soil moisture, and others in STORM and SSARR. General characteristics of a hydrologic model needed to make maximum use of remotely sensed data are discussed. Suggested goals for improvements in remote sensing for use in models are also established.

Climate-driven range shifts of the king penguin in a fragmented ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cristofari, Robin; Liu, Xiaoming; Bonadonna, Francesco; Cherel, Yves; Pistorius, Pierre; Le Maho, Yvon; Raybaud, Virginie; Stenseth, Nils Christian; Le Bohec, Céline; Trucchi, Emiliano

2018-03-01

Range shift is the primary short-term species response to rapid climate change, but it is often hampered by natural or anthropogenic habitat fragmentation. Different critical areas of a species' niche may be exposed to heterogeneous environmental changes and modelling species response under such complex spatial and ecological scenarios presents well-known challenges. Here, we use a biophysical ecological niche model validated through population genomics and palaeodemography to reconstruct past range shifts and identify future vulnerable areas and potential refugia of the king penguin in the Southern Ocean. Integrating genomic and demographic data at the whole-species level with specific biophysical constraints, we present a refined framework for predicting the effect of climate change on species relying on spatially and ecologically distinct areas to complete their life cycle (for example, migratory animals, marine pelagic organisms and central-place foragers) and, in general, on species living in fragmented ecosystems.

Statistical Algorithms Accounting for Background Density in the Detection of UXO Target Areas at DoD Munitions Sites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matzke, Brett D.; Wilson, John E.; Hathaway, J.

2008-02-12

Statistically defensible methods are presented for developing geophysical detector sampling plans and analyzing data for munitions response sites where unexploded ordnance (UXO) may exist. Detection methods for identifying areas of elevated anomaly density from background density are shown. Additionally, methods are described which aid in the choice of transect pattern and spacing to assure with degree of confidence that a target area (TA) of specific size, shape, and anomaly density will be identified using the detection methods. Methods for evaluating the sensitivity of designs to variation in certain parameters are also discussed. Methods presented have been incorporated into the Visualmore » Sample Plan (VSP) software (free at http://dqo.pnl.gov/vsp) and demonstrated at multiple sites in the United States. Application examples from actual transect designs and surveys from the previous two years are demonstrated.« less

A Systems Engineering Approach to Architecture Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Di Pietro, David A.

2014-01-01

Architecture development is conducted prior to system concept design when there is a need to determine the best-value mix of systems that works collectively in specific scenarios and time frames to accomplish a set of mission area objectives. While multiple architecture frameworks exist, they often require use of unique taxonomies and data structures. In contrast, this presentation characterizes architecture development using terminology widely understood within the systems engineering community. Using a notional civil space architecture example, it employs a multi-tier framework to describe the enterprise level architecture and illustrates how results of lower tier, mission area architectures integrate into the enterprise architecture. It also presents practices for conducting effective mission area architecture studies, including establishing the trade space, developing functions and metrics, evaluating the ability of potential design solutions to meet the required functions, and expediting study execution through the use of iterative design cycles.

Word Spotting for Indic Documents to Facilitate Retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhardwaj, Anurag; Setlur, Srirangaraj; Govindaraju, Venu

With advances in the field of digitization of printed documents and several mass digitization projects underway, information retrieval and document search have emerged as key research areas. However, most of the current work in these areas is limited to English and a few oriental languages. The lack of efficient solutions for Indic scripts has hampered information extraction from a large body of documents of cultural and historical importance. This chapter presents two relevant topics in this area. First, we describe the use of a script-specific keyword spotting for Devanagari documents that makes use of domain knowledge of the script. Second, we address the needs of a digital library to provide access to a collection of documents from multiple scripts. This requires intelligent solutions which scale across different scripts. We present a script-independent keyword spotting approach for this purpose. Experimental results illustrate the efficacy of our methods.

Tailoring surface and photocatalytic properties of ZnO and nitrogen-doped ZnO nanostructures using microwave-assisted facile hydrothermal synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rangel, R.; Cedeño, V.; Ramos-Corona, A.; Gutiérrez, R.; Alvarado-Gil, J. J.; Ares, O.; Bartolo-Pérez, P.; Quintana, P.

2017-08-01

Microwave hydrothermal synthesis, using an experimental 23 factorial design, was used to produce tunable ZnO nano- and microstructures, and their potential as photocatalysts was explored. Photocatalytic reactions were conducted in a microreactor batch system under UV and visible light irradiation, while monitoring methylene blue degradation, as a model system. The variables considered in the microwave reactor to produce ZnO nano- or microstructures, were time, NaOH concentration and synthesis temperature. It was found that, specific surface area and volume/surface area ratio were affected as a consequence of the synthesis conditions. In the second stage, the samples were plasma treated in a nitrogen atmosphere, with the purpose of introducing nitrogen into the ZnO crystalline structure. The central idea is to induce changes in the material structure as well as in its optical absorption, to make the plasma-treated material useful as photocatalyst in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Pristine ZnO and nitrogen-doped ZnO compounds were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), specific surface area (BET), XPS, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The results show that the methodology presented in this work is effective in tailoring the specific surface area of the ZnO compounds and incorporation of nitrogen into their structure, factors which in turn, affect its photocatalytic behavior.

High-level nuclear waste transport and storage assessment of potential impacts on tourism in the Las Vegas area. Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The literature review and empirical analyses presented in this report were undertaken, for the most part, between August and October 1983. They are not comprehensive. No primary data were gathered, nor were any formal surveys conducted. Additionally, because construction of a repository at Yucca Mountain, if that site is selected for a repository, is not scheduled to begin until 1993, engineering design and planned physical appearance of the repository are very preliminary. Therefore, specific design features or visual appearance were not addressed in the analyses. Finally, because actual transportation routes have not been designated, impacts on tourism generated specifically bymore » transportation activities are not considered separately. Chapter 2 briefly discusses possible means by which a repository could impact tourism in the Las Vegas area. Chapter 3 presents a review of previous research on alternative methods for predicting the response of people to potential hazards. A review of several published studies where these methods have been applied to facilities and activities associated with radioactive materials is included in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 contains five case studies of tourism impacts associated with past events that were perceived by the public to represent safety hazards. These perceptions of safety hazards were evidenced by news media coverage. These case studies were conducted specifically for this report. Conclusions of this preliminary analysis regarding the potential impact on tourism in the Las Vegas area of a repository at Yucca Mountain are in Chapter 5. Recommendations for further research are contained in Chapter 6.« less

Individual differences in solving arithmetic word problems

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background With the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study at 3 T, we investigated the neural correlates of visualization and verbalization during arithmetic word problem solving. In the domain of arithmetic, visualization might mean to visualize numbers and (intermediate) results while calculating, and verbalization might mean that numbers and (intermediate) results are verbally repeated during calculation. If the brain areas involved in number processing are domain-specific as assumed, that is, that the left angular gyrus (AG) shows an affinity to the verbal domain, and that the left and right intraparietal sulcus (IPS) shows an affinity to the visual domain, the activation of these areas should show a dependency on an individual’s cognitive style. Methods 36 healthy young adults participated in the fMRI study. The participants habitual use of visualization and verbalization during solving arithmetic word problems was assessed with a short self-report assessment. During the fMRI measurement, arithmetic word problems that had to be solved by the participants were presented in an event-related design. Results We found that visualizers showed greater brain activation in brain areas involved in visual processing, and that verbalizers showed greater brain activation within the left angular gyrus. Conclusions Our results indicate that cognitive styles or preferences play an important role in understanding brain activation. Our results confirm, that strong visualizers use mental imagery more strongly than weak visualizers during calculation. Moreover, our results suggest that the left AG shows a specific affinity to the verbal domain and subserves number processing in a modality-specific way. PMID:23883107

Systematic screening of carbon-based anode materials for microbial fuel cells with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1.

PubMed

Kipf, Elena; Koch, Julia; Geiger, Bettina; Erben, Johannes; Richter, Katrin; Gescher, Johannes; Zengerle, Roland; Kerzenmacher, Sven

2013-10-01

We present a systematic screening of carbon-based anode materials for microbial fuel cells with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Under anoxic conditions nanoporous activated carbon cloth is a superior anode material in terms of current density normalized to the projected anode area and anode volume (24.0±0.3 μA cm(-2) and 482±7 μA cm(-3) at -0.2 vs. SCE, respectively). The good performance can be attributed to the high specific surface area of the material, which is available for mediated electron transfer through self-secreted flavins. Under aerated conditions no influence of the specific surface area is observed, which we attribute to a shift from primary indirect electron transfer by mediators to direct electron transfer via adherent cells. Furthermore, we show that an aerated initial growth phase enhances the current density under subsequent anoxic conditions fivefold when compared to a similar experiment that was conducted under permanently anoxic conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Principles of auditory processing differ between sensory and premotor structures of the songbird forebrain

PubMed Central

Vicario, David S.

2017-01-01

Sensory and motor brain structures work in collaboration during perception. To evaluate their respective contributions, the present study recorded neural responses to auditory stimulation at multiple sites simultaneously in both the higher-order auditory area NCM and the premotor area HVC of the songbird brain in awake zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Bird’s own song (BOS) and various conspecific songs (CON) were presented in both blocked and shuffled sequences. Neural responses showed plasticity in the form of stimulus-specific adaptation, with markedly different dynamics between the two structures. In NCM, the response decrease with repetition of each stimulus was gradual and long-lasting and did not differ between the stimuli or the stimulus presentation sequences. In contrast, HVC responses to CON stimuli decreased much more rapidly in the blocked than in the shuffled sequence. Furthermore, this decrease was more transient in HVC than in NCM, as shown by differential dynamics in the shuffled sequence. Responses to BOS in HVC decreased more gradually than to CON stimuli. The quality of neural representations, computed as the mutual information between stimuli and neural activity, was higher in NCM than in HVC. Conversely, internal functional correlations, estimated as the coherence between recording sites, were greater in HVC than in NCM. The cross-coherence between the two structures was weak and limited to low frequencies. These findings suggest that auditory communication signals are processed according to very different but complementary principles in NCM and HVC, a contrast that may inform study of the auditory and motor pathways for human speech processing. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Neural responses to auditory stimulation in sensory area NCM and premotor area HVC of the songbird forebrain show plasticity in the form of stimulus-specific adaptation with markedly different dynamics. These two structures also differ in stimulus representations and internal functional correlations. Accordingly, NCM seems to process the individually specific complex vocalizations of others based on prior familiarity, while HVC responses appear to be modulated by transitions and/or timing in the ongoing sequence of sounds. PMID:28031398

Electric double-layer capacitors based on highly graphitized nanoporous carbons derived from ZIF-67.

PubMed

Torad, Nagy L; Salunkhe, Rahul R; Li, Yunqi; Hamoudi, Hicham; Imura, Masataka; Sakka, Yoshio; Hu, Chi-Chang; Yamauchi, Yusuke

2014-06-23

Nanoporous carbons (NPCs) have large specific surface areas, good electrical and thermal conductivity, and both chemical and mechanical stability, which facilitate their use in energy storage device applications. In the present study, highly graphitized NPCs are synthesized by one-step direct carbonization of cobalt-containing zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67). After chemical etching, the deposited Co content can be completely removed to prepare pure NPCs with high specific surface area, large pore volume, and intrinsic electrical conductivity (high content of sp(2) -bonded carbons). A detailed electrochemical study is performed using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. Our NPC is very promising for efficient electrodes for high-performance supercapacitor applications. A maximum specific capacitance of 238 F g(-1) is observed at a scan rate of 20 mV s(-1) . This value is very high compared to previous works on carbon-based electric double layer capacitors. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Design of programmable intelligent cell phone jammer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elangovan, Divya; Ravi, Aswin

2011-12-01

The usage of cell phones has increased enormously; at present silence and security is the need of the hour in many places. This can be done by using cell phone jammer, which blocks all the signals. This paper describes the design of an enhanced technique for jamming the cell phone signals. Our main objective is to concentrate on a specific band of frequency, which makes communication possible, by jamming this frequency we block out the specific signal that are responsible for making the call. This method enables the jammer to be more precise and effective, so precise that it can focus on specific area and allowing the programmer to define the area. The major advancement will be that emergency services can be availed which is very crucial in case of any calamity, they are intelligent devices as they act only after they receive signals and also it has a lesser power consumption than existing models. This technique has infinite potentials and sure can this be modified to match all our imaginations.

Characterization of particulate matter sources in an urban environment.

PubMed

Mazzei, F; D'Alessandro, A; Lucarelli, F; Nava, S; Prati, P; Valli, G; Vecchi, R

2008-08-15

Daily time series measurements of elements or compounds are widely used to apportion the contribution of specific sources of particulate matter concentration in the atmosphere. We present results obtained for the urban area of Genoa (Italy) based on several hundred of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 daily samples collected in sites with different geo-morphological and urbanization characteristics. Elemental concentrations of Na to Pb were obtained through Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF), and the contributions of specific sources of particulate matter (PM) concentration were apportioned through Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). By sampling at different sites we were able to obtain, in each PM fraction, the average and stable values for the tracers of specific sources, in particular traffic (Cu, Zn, Pb) and heavy oil combustion (V, Ni). We could also identify and quote the contamination of anthropogenic PM in "natural" sources (sea, soil dust). Sampling at several sites in the same urban area allowed us to resolve local characteristics as well as to quote average values.

Micro- and nano-hydroxyapatite as active reinforcement for soft biocomposites.

PubMed

Munarin, F; Petrini, P; Gentilini, R; Pillai, R S; Dirè, S; Tanzi, M C; Sglavo, V M

2015-01-01

Pectin-based biocomposite hydrogels were produced by internal gelation, using different hydroxyapatite (HA) powders from commercial source or synthesized by the wet chemical method. HA possesses the double functionality of cross-linking agent and inorganic reinforcement. The mineralogical composition, grain size, specific surface area and microstructure of the hydroxyapatite powders are shown to strongly influence the properties of the biocomposites. Specifically, the grain size and specific surface area of the HA powders are strictly correlated to the gelling time and rheological properties of the hydrogels at room temperature. Pectin pH is also significant for the formation of ionic cross-links and therefore for the hydrogels stability at higher temperatures. The obtained results point out that micrometric-size hydroxyapatite can be proposed for applications which require rapid gelling kinetics and improved mechanical properties; conversely the nanometric hydroxyapatite synthesized in the present work seems the best choice to obtain homogeneous hydrogels with more easily controlled gelling kinetics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combining large area fluorescence with multiphoton microscopy for improved detection of oral epithelial neoplasia (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pal, Rahul; Yang, Jinping; Qiu, Suimin; McCammon, Susan; Resto, Vicente; Vargas, Gracie

2016-03-01

Volumetric Multiphoton Autofluorescence Microscopy (MPAM) and Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy (SHGM) show promise for revealing indicators of neoplasia representing the complex microstructural organization of mucosa, potentially providing high specificity for detection of neoplasia, but is limited by small imaging area. Large area fluorescence methods on the other hand show high sensitivity appropriate for screening but are hampered by low specificity. In this study, we apply MPAM-SHGM following guidance from large area fluorescence, by either autofluorescence or a targeted metabolic fluorophore, as a potentially clinically viable approach for detection of oral neoplasia. Sites of high neoplastic potentially were identified by large area red/green autofluorescence or by a fluorescently labelled deoxy-glucose analog, 2-deoxy-2-[(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]-D-glucose (2-NBDG) to highlight areas of high glucose uptake across the buccal pouch of a hamster model for OSCC. Follow-up MPAM-SHGM was conducted on regions of interests (ROIs) to assess whether microscopy would reveal microscopic features associated with neoplasia to confirm or exclude large area fluorescence findings. Parameters for analysis included cytologic metrics, 3D epithelial connective tissue interface metrics (MPAM-SHGM) and intensity of fluorescence (widefield). Imaged sites were biopsied and processed for histology and graded by a pathologist. A small sample of human ex vivo tissues were also imaged. A generalized linear model combining image metrics from large area fluorescence and volumetric MPAM-SHGM indicated the ability to delineate normal and inflammation from neoplasia.

Cross-border cooperation potential in fostering redevelopment of degraded border areas - a case study approach.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexandre Castanho, Rui; Ramírez, Beatriz; Loures, Luis; Fernández-Pozo, Luis; Cabezas, José

2017-04-01

Border interactions have reached unprecedented levels in recent decades, not only due to their potential for territorial integration but also considering their role in supranational processes, such as landscape reclamation, infrastructure development and land use planning on European territory. In this scenario, successful examples related to the redevelopment of degraded areas have been showing positive impacts at several levels, such as the social, economic, environmental and aesthetic ones which have ultimately related this process, positively, to sustainability issues. However, concerning to border areas, and due to their inherent legislative and bureaucratic conflicts, the intervention in these areas is more complex. Still, and taking into account previously developed projects and strategies of cross-border cooperation (CBC) in European territory it is possible to identified that the definition of common master plans and common objectives are critical issues to achieve the desired territorial success. Additionally, recent studies have put forward some noteworthy ideas highlighting that it is possible to establish a positive correlation between CBC processes and an increasing redevelopment of degraded border areas, with special focus on the reclamation of derelict landscapes fostering soil reuse and redevelopment. The present research, throughout case study analysis at the Mediterranean level - considering case studies from Portugal, Spain, Monaco and Italy - which presents specific data on border landscape redevelopment, enables us to conclude that CBC processes have a positive influence on the potential redevelopment of degraded border areas, considering not only urban but also rural land. Furthermore, this paper presents data obtained through a public participation process which highlights that these areas present a greater potential for landscape reclamation, fostering resource sustainability and sustainable growth. Keywords: Spatial planning; Land degradation; Redevelopment; Cross-border cooperation (CBC); Land use.

Advances in wind erosion modelling in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borrelli, Pasquale; Lugato, Emanuele; Alewell, Christine; Montanarella, Luca; Panagos, Panos

2017-04-01

Soil erosion by wind is a serious environmental problem often resulting in severe forms of soil degradation. Wind erosion is also a phenomenon relevant for Europe, although this land degradation process has been overlooked until very recently. The state-of-the-art literature presents wind erosion as a process that locally affects the semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean region as well as the temperate climate areas of the northern European countries. Actual observations, field measurements and modelling assessments, however, are all extremely limited and highly unequally distributed across Europe. As a result, we currently lack comprehensive understanding about where and when wind erosion occurs in Europe, and the intensity of erosion that poses a threat to agricultural productivity. Today's challenge is to integrate the insights of local experiments and field-scale models into a new generation of large-scale wind erosion models. While naturally being less accurate than field-scale models, these large-scale modelling approaches still provide essential knowledge about where and when wind erosion occurs and can disclose the level of risk for agricultural productivity in specific areas. Here, we present a geographic information system (GIS) version of the RWEQ (named GIS-RWEQ) to quantitatively assess soil loss by wind over large study areas (Land Degradation & Development, DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2588). The model designed to predict the daily soil loss potential at a ca. 1 km2 spatial resolution shows high consistency with local measurements reported in literature. The average soil loss predicted by GIS-RWEQ for the European arable land totals 62 million Mg yr-1, with an average area-specific soil loss of 0.53 Mg yr-1. The JRC model RUSLE2015, for the same area estimates 295 million Mg yr-1 of soil loss due to water erosion. Notably, soil loss by wind erosion in the European arable land could be as high as 20% of water erosion, even though the areas affected are mainly concentrated in hotspots.

Soccer players' fitting perception of different upper boot materials.

PubMed

Olaso Melis, J C; Priego Quesada, J I; Lucas-Cuevas, A G; González García, J C; Puigcerver Palau, S

2016-07-01

The present study assessed the influence of upper boot materials on fitting perception. Twenty players tested three soccer boots only differing in the upper boot material (natural calf leather, natural kangaroo leather and synthetic leather). Players reported fitting perception and preference on specific foot areas using a perceived fitting scale. Ratings were averaged for every foot area. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the differences between boots. The kangaroo leather boots were perceived tighter and closer to the preferred fitting in general fitting, metatarsals area and instep area. The synthetic leather boots were perceived as the loosest and as the most distant boot from the preferred fitting in medial front area and instep area. In conclusion, the type of upper boot material influences the fitting perception of soccer players. The kangaroo leather was the material whose fitting was perceived closest to the players fitting preference. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Adults Who Learn: Sharing Literacy Project Experience from South-Western Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolawole, Oluwatoyin Dare

2011-01-01

The paper reports the outcome of a funded non-formal, functional adult literacy project embarked upon in the university-based "Isoya" rural development programme area in south-western Nigeria from 2005-2007. It specifically presents the approaches used in legitimising the literacy project amongst community people; and reports the…

Canada's Golden Horseshoe: An ESL/Geography Module (Teacher's Guide).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Patrick; Howard, Joan

A teacher's guide to an English as a second language (ESL) and geography module entitled "Canada's Golden Horseshoe" is presented. ESL modules are multimedia kits designed to integrate the study of ESL and communication skills in specific subject areas of the curriculum. This module deals with a geographical region, important both to…

Abstracts, Third Space Processing Symposium, Skylab results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

Skylab experiments results are reported in abstracts of papers presented at the Third Space Processing Symposium. Specific areas of interest include: exothermic brazing, metals melting, crystals, reinforced composites, glasses, eutectics; physics of the low-g processes; electrophoresis, heat flow, and convection demonstrations flown on Apollo missions; and apparatus for containerless processing, heating, cooling, and containing materials.

Concepts in Physical Education with Laboratories and Experiments. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corbin, Charles B.; And Others

This text is designed for student use in introductory course of physical education at the college level and deals with the specific areas of physical activity, exercise, health, physical fitness, skill learning, and body mechanics. Twenty concepts and thirty accompanying laboratory exercises suitable for both men and women are presented. Two…

Application of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, W. J. (Compiler)

1973-01-01

Remote sensing and aerial photographic interpretation are discussed along with the specific imagery techniques used for this research. The method used to select sites, the results of data analyses for the Houston metropolitan area, and the location of dredging sites along the Houston Ship Channel are presented. The work proposed for the second year of the project is described.

North Carolina Marine Education Manual, Unit Two: Seawater.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mauldin, Lundie; Frankenberg, Dirk

Although North Carolina's coastal water is chemically and physically similar to other bodies of sea water, the specific manner in which tides and waves act upon the coastline is unique. Accordingly, the 30 activities presented in this manual are intended to help junior high school students understand how physical forces modify coastal areas. While…

Field Dependence/Independence Cognitive Style and Problem Posing: An Investigation with Sixth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicolaou, Aristoklis Andreas; Xistouri, Xenia

2011-01-01

Field dependence/independence cognitive style was found to relate to general academic achievement and specific areas of mathematics; in the majority of studies, field-independent students were found to be superior to field-dependent students. The present study investigated the relationship between field dependence/independence cognitive style and…

National Strategic Research Plan for Hearing and Hearing Impairment and Voice and Voice Disorders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders, Bethesda, MD.

This monograph presents an update to the strategic plan of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), focusing on recent accomplishments, program goals, strategies, and priorities in research opportunities in the areas of hearing/hearing impairment and voice/voice disorders. Specifically considered for the…

Conservation Plants for the Northeast. Program Aid No. 1154.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1977

Descriptions of plants suited to specific conservation uses under different site conditions in the Northeast United States are presented in this booklet. The plants are classified into categories based on conservation use. These include: (1) plants for disturbed areas; (2) ornamental ground covers; (3) plants for coastal dunes and sandy inland…

Preparing Content Area Teachers for Disciplinary Literacy Instruction: The Role of Literacy Teacher Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fang, Zhihui

2014-01-01

The recent call for secondary reading instruction to move away from a focus on generic literacy strategies to discipline-specific language and literacy practices presents new challenges for secondary teacher preparation. This column identifies some of the roles literacy teacher educators can play in helping address these challenges.

Supporting Academic Language Development in Elementary Science: A Classroom Teaching Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Karl Gerhard

2017-01-01

Academic language is the language that students must engage in while participating in the teaching and learning that takes place in school (Schleppegrell, 2012) and science as a content area presents specific challenges and opportunities for students to engage with language (Buxton & Lee, 2014; Gee, 2005). In order for students to engage…

Public and Private School Costs. A Local Analysis, 1994.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Public Policy Forum, Inc., Milwaukee, WI.

This document presents findings of a study that identified key factors of cost-per-pupil differences between public and private school spending among selected Milwaukee area public and private schools. The analysis was limited to cost factors only, specifically, to per-pupil spending. Methodology included a review of the school budgets of 7 public…

Development of Problem Sets for K-12 and Engineering on Pharmaceutical Particulate Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savelski, Mariano J.; Slater, C. Stewart; Del Vecchio, Christopher A.; Kosteleski, Adrian J.; Wilson, Sarah A.

2010-01-01

Educational problem sets have been developed on structured organic particulate systems (SOPS) used in pharmaceutical technology. The sets present topics such as particle properties and powder flow and can be integrated into K-12 and college-level curricula. The materials educate students in specific areas of pharmaceutical particulate processing,…

Pretest uncertainty analysis for chemical rocket engine tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidian, Kenneth J.

1987-01-01

A parametric pretest uncertainty analysis has been performed for a chemical rocket engine test at a unique 1000:1 area ratio altitude test facility. Results from the parametric study provide the error limits required in order to maintain a maximum uncertainty of 1 percent on specific impulse. Equations used in the uncertainty analysis are presented.

Cross-National Perspective on Early Childhood Education: Engaging in Inquiry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takanishi, Ruby

Some potential areas of inquiry into the field of cross-national study of early childhood education are described in relation to the history and aims of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP). Currently the largest international organization concerned with preschool education, OMEP is presented with specific recommendations:…

78 FR 54569 - Special Local Regulation, Cumberland River, Mile 190.0 to 192.0; Nashville, TN

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-05

... Festival. Entry into this area is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port... participants and event personnel from the possible marine hazards present during the Festival. Delaying the... Festival. B. Basis and Purpose The Cumberland River Dragon Boat Festival takes place on the Cumberland...

U.S. History for the Gifted and Talented.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zola, John; And Others

The major objective of this teaching guide is to help high school classroom teachers of United States history develop and implement curriculum for gifted and talented students. Specifically, it presents objectives for gifted students in the area of social studies, offers a structure upon which discussion questions and learning activities can be…

Symmetrical infantile thalamic degeneration in two sibs

PubMed Central

Abuelo, Dianne N; Barsel-Bowers, Gail; Tutschka, Barbara G; Ambler, Mary; Singer, Don B

1981-01-01

This is the first observation of two cases of symmetrical infantile thalamic degeneration with cell mineralisation in a family. Although it cannot be established at present, autosomal recessive inheritance of a metabolic error causing or predisposing to damage to specific areas of the central nervous system is a possible aetiology for this condition. Images PMID:7334503

Family Life Education: Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuccaro, Mary; And Others

Designed to serve as a model and resource for teachers setting up family life education programs at the secondary level, this family life education curriculum guide presents a specific ten-session model for programs at both the high school and junior high school levels. While both programs attempt to provide a broad overview of the areas commonly…

Asperger Syndrome and the Elementary School Experience: Practical Solutions for Academic & Social Difficulties.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Susan Thompson.

This book provides educators with an understanding of Asperger syndrome (AS) and how it affects a student academically and socially, and provides specific strategies for helping elementary school students with AS function successfully. Following an introductory chapter, chapter 2 presents the major areas of difficulty for individuals with AS with…

The Past, Present, and Future of the Consortium and Foreign Language Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paine, Ruth

The proportion of active foreign language teachers working in cooperative or collaborative efforts is very small. Foreign languages have lagged behind other disciplines in this area. Consortia, or groups of postsecondary institutions agreeing to work together toward specific, long-range goals, date back to medieval times, but few have emerged over…

Teaching Strategies and Methods in Modern Environments for Learning of Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Djenic, Slobodanka; Mitic, Jelena

2017-01-01

This paper presents teaching strategies and methods, applicable in modern blended environments for learning of programming. Given the fact that the manner of applying teaching strategies always depends on the specific requirements of a certain area of learning, the paper outlines the basic principles of teaching in programming courses, as well as…

Teaching English as a Second Language in the Elementary School. No. 63.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Folkes, Florence; And Others

In addition to discussions on language structure, lesson structure, sentence patterns, and oral pattern drills, this curriculum guide presents specific lesson plans for various subject areas--social studies, mathematics, science, music, and culture--for English as a Second Language (ESL) in elementary schools. The guide begins with a section on…

Expert Systems: Implications for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Learning Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hofmeister, Alan M.; Lubke, Margaret M.

1988-01-01

The article examines characteristics and present or potential applications of expert systems technology for diagnosis and treatment of learning disabilities. Preliminary findings indicate that expert systems can perform as well as humans in specific areas, and that the process of organizing knowledge bases for expert systems helps clarify existing…

Potential Roles of Vocational Education in Improving the Productivity of the Workforce.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Univ., Urbana. Coll. of Education.

This monograph is a report on the impact vocational education can have on improving worker productivity. Specifically, the monograph presents a discussion of the relationship between vocational education and productivity and identifies potential areas of impact. The first chapter discusses the concept of productivity and its relationship to…

Space in Change. The Global System, Level 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spicer, Brian, Ed.; And Others

Part of a geography series which stresses understanding of the environment through mastery of specific skills and concepts, the secondary level textbook examines how and why different environments have changed through time. The book is presented in eight chapters organized around the three main themes of change in local areas, land use, and the…

AWE: Aviation Weather Data Visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spirkovska, Lilly; Lodha, Suresh K.

2001-01-01

The two official sources for aviation weather reports both require the pilot to mentally visualize the provided information. In contrast, our system, Aviation Weather Environment (AWE) presents aviation specific weather available to pilots in an easy to visualize form. We start with a computer-generated textual briefing for a specific area. We map this briefing onto a grid specific to the pilot's route that includes only information relevant to his flight route that includes only information relevant to his flight as defined by route, altitude, true airspeed, and proposed departure time. By modifying various parameters, the pilot can use AWE as a planning tool as well as a weather briefing tool.

Surface modification of a natural zeolite by treatment with cold oxygen plasma: Characterization and application in water treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Velasco-Maldonado, Paola S.; Hernández-Montoya, Virginia; Montes-Morán, Miguel A.; Vázquez, Norma Aurea-Rangel; Pérez-Cruz, Ma. Ana

2018-03-01

In the present work the possible surface modification of natural zeolite using cold oxygen plasma was studied. The sample with and without treatment was characterized using nitrogen adsorption isotherms at -196 °C, FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM/EDX analysis and X-Ray Diffraction. Additionally, the two samples were used for the removal of lead and acid, basic, reactive and food dyes in batch systems. The natural zeolite was found to be a mesoporous material with a low specific surface area (23 m2/g). X-ray patterns confirmed that clinoptilolite was the main crystal structure present in the natural zeolite. The molecular properties of dyes and the zeolitic structure were studied using molecular simulation, with the purpose to understand the adsorption mechanism. The results pointed out that only the roughness of the clinoptilolite was affected by the plasma treatment, whereas the specific surface area, chemical functionality and crystal structure remained constant. Finally, adsorption results confirmed that the plasma treatment had no significant effects on the dyes and lead retention capacities of the natural zeolite.

Process control systems: integrated for future process technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botros, Youssry; Hajj, Hazem M.

2003-06-01

Process Control Systems (PCS) are becoming more crucial to the success of Integrated Circuit makers due to their direct impact on product quality, cost, and Fab output. The primary objective of PCS is to minimize variability by detecting and correcting non optimal performance. Current PCS implementations are considered disparate, where each PCS application is designed, deployed and supported separately. Each implementation targets a specific area of control such as equipment performance, wafer manufacturing, and process health monitoring. With Intel entering the nanometer technology era, tighter process specifications are required for higher yields and lower cost. This requires areas of control to be tightly coupled and integrated to achieve the optimal performance. This requirement can be achieved via consistent design and deployment of the integrated PCS. PCS integration will result in several benefits such as leveraging commonalities, avoiding redundancy, and facilitating sharing between implementations. This paper will address PCS implementations and focus on benefits and requirements of the integrated PCS. Intel integrated PCS Architecture will be then presented and its components will be briefly discussed. Finally, industry direction and efforts to standardize PCS interfaces that enable PCS integration will be presented.

Printable Electrochemical Biosensors: A Focus on Screen-Printed Electrodes and Their Application

PubMed Central

Yamanaka, Keiichiro; Vestergaard, Mun’delanji C.; Tamiya, Eiichi

2016-01-01

In this review we present electrochemical biosensor developments, focusing on screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) and their applications. In particular, we discuss how SPEs enable simple integration, and the portability needed for on-field applications. First, we briefly discuss the general concept of biosensors and quickly move on to electrochemical biosensors. Drawing from research undertaken in this area, we cover the development of electrochemical DNA biosensors in great detail. Through specific examples, we describe the fabrication and surface modification of printed electrodes for sensitive and selective detection of targeted DNA sequences, as well as integration with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For a more rounded approach, we also touch on electrochemical immunosensors and enzyme-based biosensors. Last, we present some electrochemical devices specifically developed for use with SPEs, including USB-powered compact mini potentiostat. The coupling demonstrates the practical use of printable electrode technologies for application at point-of-use. Although tremendous advances have indeed been made in this area, a few challenges remain. One of the main challenges is application of these technologies for on-field analysis, which involves complicated sample matrices. PMID:27775661

The role of early life nutrition in programming of reproductive function.

PubMed

Chadio, S; Kotsampasi, B

2014-02-01

Accumulating evidence suggest that the concept of programming can also be applied to reproductive development and function, representing an ever expanding research area. Recently issues such as peri- or even preconceptional nutrition, transgenerational effects and underlying mechanisms have received considerable attention. The present chapter presents the existed evidence and reviews the available data from numerous animal and human studies on the effects of early life nutritional environment on adult reproductive function. Specific outcomes depend on the severity, duration and stage of development when nutritional perturbations are imposed, while sex-specific effects are also manifested. Apart from undernutrition, effects of relative overnutrition as well as the complex interactions between pre- and postnatal nutrition is of high importance, especially in the context of our days obesity epidemic. Mechanisms underlying reproductive programming are yet unclear, but may include a role for epigenetic modifications. Epigenetic modulation of critical genes involved in the control of reproductive function and potential intergenerational effects represent an exciting area of interdisciplinary research toward the development of new nutritional approaches during pre- and postnatal periods to ensure reproductive health in later life.

Synthesis and characterization of TiO2/graphitic carbon nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wanag, Agnieszka; Kusiak-Nejman, Ewelina; Kowalczyk, Łukasz; Kapica-Kozar, Joanna; Ohtani, Bunsho; Morawski, Antoni W.

2018-04-01

In this paper titanium dioxide carbon modification with benzene as a carbon source is presented. A TiO2/graphitic carbon nanocomposites were synthesized by thermal modification in the presence of benzene vapours at different temperature (300-700 °C). The new materials were characterized by a various techniques, such as: X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis/DR), surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. BET specific surface area was also measured. The photocatalytic activity of obtained nanocomposites was measured by the decomposition of acetic acid and methylene blue under UV-vis irradiation. The results show that photocatalytic activity increasing with increase in carbon concentration and temperature of modification. It can be noted that adsorption degree has a very high impact on methylene blue decomposition. The highest photocatalytic activity was found for the photocatalyst modified at 600 °C contains 1.13 wt% of carbon. It should be noted that, the influence of crystallite size, crystal structure changes and specific surface area for photocatalytic activity are presented.

Compound-specific stable carbon isotope composition as a fingerprint for sediment transport: Reproducibility, homogeneity and application in a catchment of the Swiss plateau.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkholz, Axel; Niemann, Helge; Alewell, Christine

2014-05-01

A new field for the applications of compound-specific isotope analyses (CSIA) has opened in the recent years. The isotopic signature in fatty acids (FA) can be used to track sediment transport pathways from erosional areas to river systems. In this approach distinct FA d13C values of even numbered saturated and/or unsaturated FAs from soils are traced in suspended river sediments, ie. the place of deposition. CSIA has been shown to be particularly useful in catchment areas with C4 plant crops because, compared to the regularly occurring C3-plants, they are (naturally) depleted in 13C. However, in theory, all plant species even among C3 plants should inherit significant differences in their d13C of FAs. Thus, we tried to differentiate between source areas for suspended sediments from three different land use types: forest (C3 plants), grassland (C3 plants) and arable land (mixture of C3 and C4 plants). Statistical geo software (eg. Isosource) can be used to additionally model the spatial and temporal variability of erosion. We present d13C values of FAs from 8 erosion areas from the Enziwigger catchment of the Swiss plateau (Canton of Lucerne). Each area was assessed through randomised triplicate sampling to test the spatial homogeneity of each one. The homogeneity of a single sample, as well as the reproducibility of our measurements was tested by extracting and analysing the same sample bag in triplicates. We compare compound-specific stable isotope (CSSI) fingerprints of source areas to d13C-values of FAs from suspended sediments of two high-flow events and one base flow period at 3 different sites of the Enziwiger river (upstream, midstream, downstream).

NIST biometric evaluations and developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garris, Michael D.; Wilson, Charles L.

2005-05-01

This paper presents an R&D framework used by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for biometric technology testing and evaluation. The focus of this paper is on fingerprint-based verification and identification. Since 9-11 the NIST Image Group has been mandated by Congress to run a program for biometric technology assessment and biometric systems certification. Four essential areas of activity are discussed: 1) developing test datasets, 2) conducting performance assessment; 3) technology development; and 4) standards participation. A description of activities and accomplishments are provided for each of these areas. In the process, methods of performance testing are described and results from specific biometric technology evaluations are presented. This framework is anticipated to have broad applicability to other technology and application domains.

Summary report of a workshop on research opportunities in plant biochemistry, December 11--13, 1992, Kona, Hawaii

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-12-31

A DOE-sponsored workshop was held December 11--13, 1992 in Kona, Hawaii to discuss those aspects of fundamental research in plant biochemistry deemed essential to provide the basic information base necessary for exploiting plant biotechnology to meet future societal needs. Twenty nine scientists, with interests representing many of the various areas of plant biochemistry, participated. The workshop was intended to define in both broad and specific terms the current state of knowledge in the general area of metabolic biochemistry, and to identify those areas that afford unusual opportunity or that are relatively underdeveloped in comparison with other areas of plant biology.more » Participants provided critiques of the state of knowledge of the major areas of metabolic biochemistry in relation to a series of questions that are presented herein.« less

Influence of specific surface area on coal dust explosibility using the 20-L chamber.

PubMed

Zlochower, Isaac A; Sapko, Michael J; Perera, Inoka E; Brown, Connor B; Harris, Marcia L; Rayyan, Naseem S

2018-07-01

The relationship between the explosion inerting effectiveness of rock dusts on coal dusts, as a function of the specific surface area (cm 2 /g) of each component is examined through the use of 20-L explosion chamber testing. More specifically, a linear relationship is demonstrated for the rock dust to coal dust (or incombustible to combustible) content of such inerted mixtures with the specific surface area of the coal and the inverse of that area of the rock dust. Hence, the inerting effectiveness, defined as above, is more generally linearly dependent on the ratio of the two surface areas. The focus on specific surface areas, particularly of the rock dust, provide supporting data for minimum surface area requirements in addition to the 70% less than 200 mesh requirement specified in 30 CFR 75.2.

Hydrogeologic data for the Big River-Mishnock River stream-aquifer system, central Rhode Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Craft, P.A.

2001-01-01

Hydrogeology, ground-water development alternatives, and water quality in the BigMishnock stream-aquifer system in central Rhode Island are being investigated as part of a long-term cooperative program between the Rhode Island Water Resources Board and the U.S. Geological Survey to evaluate the ground-water resources throughout Rhode Island. The study area includes the Big River drainage basin and that portion of the Mishnock River drainage basin upstream from the Mishnock River at State Route 3. This report presents geologic data and hydrologic and water-quality data for ground and surface water. Ground-water data were collected from July 1996 through September 1998 from a network of observation wells consisting of existing wells and wells installed for this study, which provided a broad distribution of data-collection sites throughout the study area. Streambed piezometers were used to obtain differences in head data between surface-water levels and ground-water levels to help evaluate stream-aquifer interactions throughout the study area. The types of data presented include monthly ground-water levels, average daily ground-water withdrawals, drawdown data from aquifer tests, and water-quality data. Historical water-level data from other wells within the study area also are presented in this report. Surface-water data were obtained from a network consisting of surface-water impoundments, such as ponds and reservoirs, existing and newly established partial-record stream-discharge sites, and synoptic surface-water-quality sites. Water levels were collected monthly from the surface-water impoundments. Stream-discharge measurements were made at partial-record sites to provide measurements of inflow, outflow, and internal flow throughout the study area. Specific conductance was measured monthly at partial-record sites during the study, and also during the fall and spring of 1997 and 1998 at 41 synoptic sites throughout the study area. General geologic data, such as estimates of depth to bedrock and depth to water table, as well as indications of underlying geologic structure, were obtained from geophysical surveys. Site-specific geologic data were collected during the drilling of observation wells and test holes. These data include depth to bedrock or refusal, depth to water table, and lithologic information.

The area centralis in the chicken retina contains efferent target amacrine cells

PubMed Central

Weller, Cynthia; Lindstrom, Sarah H.; De Grip, Willem J.; Wilson, Martin

2012-01-01

The retinas of birds receive a substantial efferent, or centrifugal, input from a midbrain nucleus. The function of this input is presently unclear but previous work in the pigeon has shown that efferent input is excluded from the area centralis, suggesting that the functions of the area centralis and the efferent system are incompatible. Using an antibody specific to rods, we have identified the area centralis in another species, the chicken, and mapped the distribution of the unique amacrine cells that are the postsynaptic partners of efferent fibers. Efferent target amacrine cells are found within the chicken area centralis and their density is continuous across the border of the area centralis. In contrast to the pigeon retina then, we conclude that the chicken area centralis receives efferent input. We suggest that the difference between the 2 species is attributable to the presence of a fovea within the area centralis of the pigeon and its absence from that of the chicken. PMID:19296862

Flood-plain delineation for Accotink Creek Basin, Fairfax County, Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soule, Pat L.

1977-01-01

Water-surface profiles of the 25-year and 100-year floods maps on which the 25-, 50-, and 100-year flood limits are delineated for streams in the Accotink Creek basin are presented in this report. Excluded are segments of Accotink Creek within the Fort Belvoir Military Reservation. The techniques used in the computation of the flood profiles and delineation of flood limits are presented, and specific hydraulic problems encountered within the study area are also included.

Small ICBM area narrowing report. Volume 3: Hard silo in patterned array basing mode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The purpose of this report is to identify those areas that could potentially support deployment of the Small Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) utilizing basing modes presently considered viable: the Hard Mobile Launcher in Random Movement, the Hard Mobile Launcher at Minuteman Facilities, or the Hard Silo in Patterned Array. Specifically, this report describes the process and the rationale supporting the application of Exclusionary and Evaluative Criteria and lists those locations that were eliminated through the application of these criteria. The remaining locations will be the subject of further investigations.

Determining the Importance of Energy Transfer between Magnetospheric Regions via MHD Waves using Constellations of Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cattell, Cynthia A.

2004-01-01

This grant was focused on research in two specific areas: (1) development of new techniques and software for assimilation, analysis and visualization of data from multiple satellites making in-situ measurements; and (2) determination of the role of MHD waves in energy transport during storms and substorms. Results were obtained in both areas and presented at national meetings and in publications. The talks and papers that were supported in part or fully by this grant are listed in this paper.

Analysis of the Use of Frame Construction and Modular Additions in City Centre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milwicz, Roman; Milwicz, Natalia; Dubas, Sebastian

2017-10-01

The living urban fabric can be characterized by the continuous introduction of changes and additions. The city centre is subject to specific restrictions due to the conservation protection and high demand on aesthetics aspect, thermal insulation, construction cost and the ratio of usable area of the building area. This article presents a comparative analysis of traditional construction with light frame and modular construction for the above-mentioned issues. Timber frame structure technology was suggested as effective, economic and innovative solutions for modular additions on buildings in city centres.

NASP X-30 Propulsion technology status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, William E.

1992-01-01

The performance goals of the NASP program require an aero-propulsion system with a high effective specific impulse. In order to achieve these goals, the high potential performance of air-breathing engines must be achieved over a very wide Mach number operating range. This, in turn, demands high component performance and involves many important technical issues which must be resolved. Scramjet Propulsion Technology is divided into five major areas: (1) inlets, (2) combustors, (3) nozzles, (4) component integration, and (5) test facilities. A status report covering the five areas is presented.

Fluoroquinolones in the Wenyu River catchment, China: Occurrence simulation and risk assessment.

PubMed

Hao, Xuewen; Cao, Yan; Zhang, Lai; Zhang, Yongyong; Liu, Jianguo

2015-12-01

Concern is increasing regarding the environmental impact of the high usage rate and intensive release of antibiotics used for human and animal therapy in major urban areas of China. In the present study, regional environmental distribution simulations and risk assessments for 3 commonly used fluoroquinolones in the Wenyu River catchment were conducted using a typical catchment model widely used in Europe. The fluoroquinolone antibiotics investigated (ofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin) are consumed at high levels for personal health care in China. These antibiotics were simulated in the aquatic environment of the Wenyu River catchment across the Beijing City area for annual average concentrations, with regional predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) of approximately 711 ng/L, 55.3 ng/L, and 22.2 ng/L and local PECs up to 1.8 µg/L, 116 ng/L, and 43 ng/L, respectively. Apart from hydrological conditions, the concentrations of fluoroquinolones were associated closely with the sewage treatment plants (STPs) and their serving population, as well as hospital distributions. The presence of these fluoroquinolones in the catchment area of the present study showed significant characteristics of the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment in an urban river, with typical "down-the-drain" chemicals. Significantly high concentrations of specific antibiotics indicated non-negligible risks caused by the intensive use in the local aquatic environment in a metropolitan area, particularly ofloxacin in upstream Shahe Reservoir, middle stream and downstream Qing River, and Liangma River to the Ba River segment. Specific treatment measures for these pharmaceuticals and personal care products in STPs are required for such metropolitan areas. © 2015 SETAC.

Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma in Australia and New Zealand: High-Surface-Area Textured Implants Are Associated with Increased Risk.

PubMed

Loch-Wilkinson, Anna; Beath, Kenneth J; Knight, Robert John William; Wessels, William Louis Fick; Magnusson, Mark; Papadopoulos, Tim; Connell, Tony; Lofts, Julian; Locke, Michelle; Hopper, Ingrid; Cooter, Rodney; Vickery, Karen; Joshi, Preeti Avinash; Prince, H Miles; Deva, Anand K

2017-10-01

The association between breast implants and breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) has been confirmed. Implant-related risk has been difficult to estimate to date due to incomplete datasets. All cases in Australia and New Zealand were identified and analyzed. Textured implants reported in this group were subjected to surface area analysis. Sales data from three leading breast implant manufacturers (i.e., Mentor, Allergan, and Silimed) dating back to 1999 were secured to estimate implant-specific risk. Fifty-five cases of breast implant-associated ALCL were diagnosed in Australia and New Zealand between 2007 and 2016. The mean age of patients was 47.1 years and the mean time of implant exposure was 7.46 years. There were four deaths in the series related to mass and/or metastatic presentation. All patients were exposed to textured implants. Surface area analysis confirmed that higher surface area was associated with 64 of the 75 implants used (85.3 percent). Biocell salt loss textured (Allergan, Inamed, and McGhan) implants accounted for 58.7 percent of the implants used in this series. Comparative analysis showed the risk of developing breast implant-associated ALCL to be 14.11 times higher with Biocell textured implants and 10.84 higher with polyurethane (Silimed) textured implants compared with Siltex textured implants. This study has calculated implant-specific risk of breast implant-associated ALCL. Higher-surface-area textured implants have been shown to significantly increase the risk of breast implant-associated ALCL in Australia and New Zealand. The authors present a unifying hypothesis to explain these observations.

Distribution of two species of sea snakes, Aipysurus laevis and Emydocephalus annulatus, in the southern Great Barrier Reef: metapopulation dynamics, marine protected areas and conservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukoschek, V.; Heatwole, H.; Grech, A.; Burns, G.; Marsh, H.

2007-06-01

Aipysurus laevis and Emydocephalus annulatus typically occur in spatially discrete populations, characteristic of metapopulations; however, little is known about the factors influencing the spatial and temporal stability of populations or whether specific conservation strategies, such as networks of marine protected areas, will ensure the persistence of species. Classification tree analyses of 35 years of distribution data (90 reefs, surveyed 1-11 times) in the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) revealed that longitude was a major factor determining the status of A. laevis on reefs (present = 38, absent = 38 and changed = 14). Reef exposure and reef area were also important; however, these factors did not specifically account for the population fluctuations and the recent local extinctions of A. laevis in this region. There were no relationships between the status of E. annulatus (present = 16, absent = 68 and changed = 6) and spatial or physical variables. Moreover, prior protection status of reefs did not account for the distribution of either species. Biotic factors, such as habitat and prey availability and the distribution of predators, which may account for the observed patterns of distribution, are discussed. The potential for inter-population exchange among sea snake populations is poorly understood, as is the degree of protection that will be afforded to sea snakes by the recently implemented network of No-take areas in the GBR. Data from this study provide a baseline for evaluating the responses of A. laevis and E. annulatus populations to changes in biotic factors and the degree of protection afforded on reefs within an ecosystem network of No-take marine protected areas in the southern GBR.

Segmentation of British Sign Language (BSL): mind the gap!

PubMed

Orfanidou, Eleni; McQueen, James M; Adam, Robert; Morgan, Gary

2015-01-01

This study asks how users of British Sign Language (BSL) recognize individual signs in connected sign sequences. We examined whether this is achieved through modality-specific or modality-general segmentation procedures. A modality-specific feature of signed languages is that, during continuous signing, there are salient transitions between sign locations. We used the sign-spotting task to ask if and how BSL signers use these transitions in segmentation. A total of 96 real BSL signs were preceded by nonsense signs which were produced in either the target location or another location (with a small or large transition). Half of the transitions were within the same major body area (e.g., head) and half were across body areas (e.g., chest to hand). Deaf adult BSL users (a group of natives and early learners, and a group of late learners) spotted target signs best when there was a minimal transition and worst when there was a large transition. When location changes were present, both groups performed better when transitions were to a different body area than when they were within the same area. These findings suggest that transitions do not provide explicit sign-boundary cues in a modality-specific fashion. Instead, we argue that smaller transitions help recognition in a modality-general way by limiting lexical search to signs within location neighbourhoods, and that transitions across body areas also aid segmentation in a modality-general way, by providing a phonotactic cue to a sign boundary. We propose that sign segmentation is based on modality-general procedures which are core language-processing mechanisms.

Operational health physics.

PubMed

Miller, Kenneth L

2005-06-01

A review of the operational health physics papers published in Health Physics and Operational Radiation Safety over the past fifteen years indicated seventeen general categories or areas into which the topics could be readily separated. These areas include academic research programs, use of computers in operational health physics, decontamination and decommissioning, dosimetry, emergency response, environmental health physics, industrial operations, medical health physics, new procedure development, non-ionizing radiation, radiation measurements, radioactive waste disposal, radon measurement and control, risk communication, shielding evaluation and specification, staffing levels for health physics programs, and unwanted or orphan sources. That is not to say that there are no operational papers dealing with specific areas of health physics, such as power reactor health physics, accelerator health physics, or governmental health physics. On the contrary, there have been a number of excellent operational papers from individuals in these specialty areas and they are included in the broader topics listed above. A listing and review of all the operational papers that have been published is beyond the scope of this discussion. However, a sampling of the excellent operational papers that have appeared in Health Physics and Operational Radiation Safety is presented to give the reader the flavor of the wide variety of concerns to the operational health physicist and the current areas of interest where procedures are being refined and solutions to problems are being developed.

Operational health physics.

PubMed

Miller, Kenneth L

2005-01-01

A review of the operational health physics papers published in Health Physics and Operational Radiation Safety over the past fifteen years indicated seventeen general categories or areas into which the topics could be readily separated. These areas include academic research programs, use of computers in operational health physics, decontamination and decommissioning, dosimetry, emergency response, environmental health physics, industrial operations, medical health physics, new procedure development, non-ionizing radiation, radiation measurements, radioactive waste disposal, radon measurement and control, risk communication, shielding evaluation and specification, staffing levels for health physics programs, and unwanted or orphan sources. That is not to say that there are no operational papers dealing with specific areas of health physics, such as power reactor health physics, accelerator health physics, or governmental health physics. On the contrary, there have been a number of excellent operational papers from individuals in these specialty areas and they are included in the broader topics listed above. A listing and review of all the operational papers that have been published is beyond the scope of this discussion. However, a sampling of the excellent operational papers that have appeared in Health Physics and Operational Radiation Safety is presented to give the reader the flavor of the wide variety of concerns to the operational health physicist and the current areas of interest where procedures are being refined and solutions to problems are being developed.

Functional organization of human subgenual cortical areas: Relationship between architectonical segregation and connectional heterogeneity.

PubMed

Palomero-Gallagher, Nicola; Eickhoff, Simon B; Hoffstaedter, Felix; Schleicher, Axel; Mohlberg, Hartmut; Vogt, Brent A; Amunts, Katrin; Zilles, Karl

2015-07-15

Human subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sACC) is involved in affective experiences and fear processing. Functional neuroimaging studies view it as a homogeneous cortical entity. However, sACC comprises several distinct cyto- and receptorarchitectonical areas: 25, s24, s32, and the ventral portion of area 33. Thus, we hypothesized that the areas may also be connectionally and functionally distinct. We performed structural post mortem and functional in vivo analyses. We computed probabilistic maps of each area based on cytoarchitectonical analysis of ten post mortem brains. Maps, publicly available via the JuBrain atlas and the Anatomy Toolbox, were used to define seed regions of task-dependent functional connectivity profiles and quantitative functional decoding. sACC areas presented distinct co-activation patterns within widespread networks encompassing cortical and subcortical regions. They shared common functional domains related to emotion, perception and cognition. A more specific analysis of these domains revealed an association of s24 with sadness, and of s32 with fear processing. Both areas were activated during taste evaluation, and co-activated with the amygdala, a key node of the affective network. s32 co-activated with areas of the executive control network, and was associated with tasks probing cognition in which stimuli did not have an emotional component. Area 33 was activated by painful stimuli, and co-activated with areas of the sensorimotor network. These results support the concept of a connectional and functional specificity of the cyto- and receptorarchitectonically defined areas within the sACC, which can no longer be seen as a structurally and functionally homogeneous brain region. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stereometric parameters change vs. Topographic Change Analysis (TCA) agreement in Heidelberg Retina Tomography III (HRT-3) early detection of clinical significant glaucoma progression.

PubMed

Dascalu, A M; Cherecheanu, A P; Stana, D; Voinea, L; Ciuluvica, R; Savlovschi, C; Serban, D

2014-01-01

to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of the stereometric parameters change analysis vs. Topographic Change Analysis in early detection of glaucoma progression. 81 patients with POAG were monitored for 4 years (GAT monthly, SAP at every 6 months, optic disc photographs and HRT3 yearly). The exclusion criteria were other optic disc or retinal pathology; topographic standard deviation (TSD>30; inter-test variation of reference height>25 μm. The criterion for structural progression was the following: at least 20 adjacent super-pixels with a clinically significant decrease in height (>5%). 16 patients of the total 81 presented structural progression on TCA. The most useful stereometric parameters for the early detection of glaucoma progression were the following: Rim Area change (sensitivity 100%, specificity 74.2% for a "cut-off " value of -0.05), C/D Area change (sensitivity 85.7%, specificity 71.5% for a "cut off " value of 0.02), C/D linear change (sensitivity 85.7%, specificity 71.5% for a "cut-off " value of 0.02), Rim Volume change (sensitivity 71.4%, specificity 88.8% for a "cut-off " value of -0.04). RNFL Thickness change (<0) was highly sensitive (82%), but less specific for glaucoma progression (45,2%). Changes of the other stereometric parameters have a limited diagnostic value for the early detection of glaucoma progression. TCA is a valuable tool for the assessment of the structural progression in glaucoma patients and its inter-test variability is low. On long-term, the quantitative analysis according to stereometric parameters change is also very important. The most relevant parameters to detect progression are RA, C/D Area, Linear C/D and RV.

Sensor Fusion and Smart Sensor in Sports and Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Mendes, José Jair Alves; Vieira, Mário Elias Marinho; Pires, Marcelo Bissi; Stevan, Sergio Luiz

2016-01-01

The following work presents an overview of smart sensors and sensor fusion targeted at biomedical applications and sports areas. In this work, the integration of these areas is demonstrated, promoting a reflection about techniques and applications to collect, quantify and qualify some physical variables associated with the human body. These techniques are presented in various biomedical and sports applications, which cover areas related to diagnostics, rehabilitation, physical monitoring, and the development of performance in athletes, among others. Although some applications are described in only one of two fields of study (biomedicine and sports), it is very likely that the same application fits in both, with small peculiarities or adaptations. To illustrate the contemporaneity of applications, an analysis of specialized papers published in the last six years has been made. In this context, the main characteristic of this review is to present the largest quantity of relevant examples of sensor fusion and smart sensors focusing on their utilization and proposals, without deeply addressing one specific system or technique, to the detriment of the others. PMID:27669260

Population changes in residential clusters in Japan.

PubMed

Sekiguchi, Takuya; Tamura, Kohei; Masuda, Naoki

2018-01-01

Population dynamics in urban and rural areas are different. Understanding factors that contribute to local population changes has various socioeconomic and political implications. In the present study, we use population census data in Japan to examine contributors to the population growth of residential clusters between years 2005 and 2010. The data set covers the entirety of Japan and has a high spatial resolution of 500 × 500 m2, enabling us to examine population dynamics in various parts of the country (urban and rural) using statistical analysis. We found that, in addition to the area, population density, and age, the shape of the cluster and the spatial distribution of inhabitants within the cluster are significantly related to the population growth rate of a residential cluster. Specifically, the population tends to grow if the cluster is "round" shaped (given the area) and the population is concentrated near the center rather than periphery of the cluster. Combination of the present results and analysis framework with other factors that have been omitted in the present study, such as migration, terrain, and transportation infrastructure, will be fruitful.

Micro-mesoporous carbon spheres derived from carrageenan as electrode material for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Yang; Yang, Xin; Zhu, Bing; Liu, Pei-Fang; Lu, Hai-Ting

2014-12-01

The polysaccharide carrageenan is used as a natural precursor to prepare micro-mesoporous carbon spheres. The carbon spheres were synthesized by hydrothermal carbonization of carrageenan, and subsequent chemical activation by KOH at different temperatures. The obtained micro-mesoporous carbon spheres have high surface area (up to 2502 m2 g-1) and large pore volume (up to 1.43 cm3 g-1). Moreover, the micro- and mesoporosity can be finely tuned be modifying the activation temperatures in the range of 700-900 °C. The carbon spheres activated at 900 °C present high specific capacitance of 230 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1 and good ion transport kinetics. The good capacitive performance can be ascribed to the high specific surface area, well-controlled micro- and mesoporosity and narrow pore size distribution.

Groundwater vulnerability and risk mapping using GIS, modeling and a fuzzy logic tool.

PubMed

Nobre, R C M; Rotunno Filho, O C; Mansur, W J; Nobre, M M M; Cosenza, C A N

2007-12-07

A groundwater vulnerability and risk mapping assessment, based on a source-pathway-receptor approach, is presented for an urban coastal aquifer in northeastern Brazil. A modified version of the DRASTIC methodology was used to map the intrinsic and specific groundwater vulnerability of a 292 km(2) study area. A fuzzy hierarchy methodology was adopted to evaluate the potential contaminant source index, including diffuse and point sources. Numerical modeling was performed for delineation of well capture zones, using MODFLOW and MODPATH. The integration of these elements provided the mechanism to assess groundwater pollution risks and identify areas that must be prioritized in terms of groundwater monitoring and restriction on use. A groundwater quality index based on nitrate and chloride concentrations was calculated, which had a positive correlation with the specific vulnerability index.

Upper and Lower Limb Muscle Architecture of a 104 Year-Old Cadaver

PubMed Central

Infantolino, Benjamin

2016-01-01

Muscle architecture is an important component to typical musculoskeletal models. Previous studies of human muscle architecture have focused on a single joint, two adjacent joints, or an entire limb. To date, no study has presented muscle architecture for the upper and lower limbs of a single cadaver. Additionally, muscle architectural parameters from elderly cadavers are lacking, making it difficult to accurately model elderly populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to present muscle architecture of the upper and lower limbs of a 104 year old female cadaver. The major muscles of the upper and lower limbs were removed and the musculotendon mass, tendon mass, musculotendon length, tendon length, pennation angle, optimal fascicle length, physiological cross-sectional area, and tendon cross-sectional area were determined for each muscle. Data from this complete cadaver are presented in table format. The data from this study can be used to construct a musculoskeletal model of a specific individual who was ambulatory, something which has not been possible to date. This should increase the accuracy of the model output as the model will be representing a specific individual, not a synthesis of measurements from multiple individuals. Additionally, an elderly individual can be modeled which will provide insight into muscle function as we age. PMID:28033339

Upper and Lower Limb Muscle Architecture of a 104 Year-Old Cadaver.

PubMed

Ruggiero, Marissa; Cless, Daniel; Infantolino, Benjamin

2016-01-01

Muscle architecture is an important component to typical musculoskeletal models. Previous studies of human muscle architecture have focused on a single joint, two adjacent joints, or an entire limb. To date, no study has presented muscle architecture for the upper and lower limbs of a single cadaver. Additionally, muscle architectural parameters from elderly cadavers are lacking, making it difficult to accurately model elderly populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to present muscle architecture of the upper and lower limbs of a 104 year old female cadaver. The major muscles of the upper and lower limbs were removed and the musculotendon mass, tendon mass, musculotendon length, tendon length, pennation angle, optimal fascicle length, physiological cross-sectional area, and tendon cross-sectional area were determined for each muscle. Data from this complete cadaver are presented in table format. The data from this study can be used to construct a musculoskeletal model of a specific individual who was ambulatory, something which has not been possible to date. This should increase the accuracy of the model output as the model will be representing a specific individual, not a synthesis of measurements from multiple individuals. Additionally, an elderly individual can be modeled which will provide insight into muscle function as we age.

Sensors, Volume 4, Thermal Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholz, Jorg; Ricolfi, Teresio

1996-12-01

'Sensors' is the first self-contained series to deal with the whole area of sensors. It describes general aspects, technical and physical fundamentals, construction, function, applications and developments of the various types of sensors. This volume describes the construction and applicational aspects of thermal sensors while presenting a rigorous treatment of the underlying physical principles. It provides a unique overview of the various categories of sensors as well as of specific groups, e.g. temperature sensors (resistance thermometers, thermocouples, and radiation thermometers), noise and acoustic thermometers, heat-flow and mass-flow sensors. Specific facettes of applications are presented by specialists from different fields including process control, automotive technology and cryogenics. This volume is an indispensable reference work and text book for both specialists and newcomers, researchers and developers.

Ambient pressure dried tetrapropoxysilane-based silica aerogels with high specific surface area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parale, Vinayak G.; Han, Wooje; Jung, Hae-Noo-Ree; Lee, Kyu-Yeon; Park, Hyung-Ho

2018-01-01

In the present paper, we report the synthesis of tetrapropoxysilane (TPOS)-based silica aerogels with high surface area and large pore volume. The silica aerogels were prepared by a two-step sol-gel process followed by surface modification via a simple ambient pressure drying approach. In order to minimize drying shrinkage and obtain hydrophobic aerogels, the surface of the alcogels was modified using trichloromethylsilane as a silylating agent. The effect of the sol-gel compositional parameters on the polymerization of aerogels prepared by TPOS, one of the precursors belonging to the Si(OR)4 family, was reported for the first time. The oxalic acid and NH4OH concentrations were adjusted to achieve good-quality aerogels with high surface area, low density, and high transparency. Controlling the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the TPOS precursor turned out to be the most important factor to determine the pore characteristics of the aerogel. Highly transparent aerogels with high specific surface area (938 m2/g) and low density (0.047 g/cm3) could be obtained using an optimized TPOS/MeOH molar ratio with appropriate concentrations of oxalic acid and NH4OH.

Demolition waste generation for development of a regional management chain model.

PubMed

Bernardo, Miguel; Gomes, Marta Castilho; de Brito, Jorge

2016-03-01

Even though construction and demolition waste (CDW) is the bulkiest waste stream, its estimation and composition in specific regions still faces major difficulties. Therefore new methods are required especially when it comes to make predictions limited to small areas, such as counties. This paper proposes one such method, which makes use of data collected from real demolition works and statistical information on the geographical area under study. Based on a correlation analysis between the demolition waste estimates and indicators such as population density, buildings ageing index, buildings density and land occupation type, relationships are established that can be used to determine demolition waste outputs in a given area. The derived models are presented and explained. This methodology is independent from the specific region with which it is exemplified (the Lisbon Metropolitan Area) and can therefore be applied to any region of the world, from the country to the county level. Generation of demolition waste data at the county level is the basis of the design of a systemic model for CDW management in a region. Future developments proposed include a mixed-integer linear programming formulation of such recycling network. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of land use regression models for nitrogen dioxide, ultrafine particles, lung deposited surface area, and four other markers of particulate matter pollution in the Swiss SAPALDIA regions.

PubMed

Eeftens, Marloes; Meier, Reto; Schindler, Christian; Aguilera, Inmaculada; Phuleria, Harish; Ineichen, Alex; Davey, Mark; Ducret-Stich, Regina; Keidel, Dirk; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Künzli, Nino; Tsai, Ming-Yi

2016-04-18

Land Use Regression (LUR) is a popular method to explain and predict spatial contrasts in air pollution concentrations, but LUR models for ultrafine particles, such as particle number concentration (PNC) are especially scarce. Moreover, no models have been previously presented for the lung deposited surface area (LDSA) of ultrafine particles. The additional value of ultrafine particle metrics has not been well investigated due to lack of exposure measurements and models. Air pollution measurements were performed in 2011 and 2012 in the eight areas of the Swiss SAPALDIA study at up to 40 sites per area for NO2 and at 20 sites in four areas for markers of particulate air pollution. We developed multi-area LUR models for biannual average concentrations of PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance, PM10, PMcoarse, PNC and LDSA, as well as alpine, non-alpine and study area specific models for NO2, using predictor variables which were available at a national level. Models were validated using leave-one-out cross-validation, as well as independent external validation with routine monitoring data. Model explained variance (R(2)) was moderate for the various PM mass fractions PM2.5 (0.57), PM10 (0.63) and PMcoarse (0.45), and was high for PM2.5 absorbance (0.81), PNC (0.87) and LDSA (0.91). Study-area specific LUR models for NO2 (R(2) range 0.52-0.89) outperformed combined-area alpine (R (2)  = 0.53) and non-alpine (R (2)  = 0.65) models in terms of both cross-validation and independent external validation, and were better able to account for between-area variability. Predictor variables related to traffic and national dispersion model estimates were important predictors. LUR models for all pollutants captured spatial variability of long-term average concentrations, performed adequately in validation, and could be successfully applied to the SAPALDIA cohort. Dispersion model predictions or area indicators served well to capture the between area variance. For NO2, applying study-area specific models was preferable over applying combined-area alpine/non-alpine models. Correlations between pollutants were higher in the model predictions than in the measurements, so it will remain challenging to disentangle their health effects.

Influence of wetting effect at the outer surface of the pipe on increase in leak rate - experimental results and discussion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Isozaki, Toshikuni; Shibata, Katsuyuki

1997-04-01

Experimental and computed results applicable to Leak Before Break analysis are presented. The specific area of investigation is the effect of the temperature distribution changes due to wetting of the test pipe near the crack on the increase in the crack opening area and leak rate. Two 12-inch straight pipes subjected to both internal pressure and thermal load, but not to bending load, are modelled. The leak rate was found to be very susceptible to the metal temperature of the piping. In leak rate tests, therefore, it is recommended that temperature distribution be measured precisely for a wide area.

Investigation of turbines for driving supersonic compressors II : performance of first configuration with 2.2 percent reduction in nozzle flow area / Warner L. Stewart, Harold J. Schum, Robert Y. Wong

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, Warner L; Schum, Harold J; Wong, Robert Y

1952-01-01

The experimental performance of a modified turbine for driving a supersonic compressor is presented and compared with the performance of the original configuration to illustrate the effect of small changes in the ratio of nozzle-throat area to rotor-throat area. Performance is based on the performance of turbines designed to operate with both blade rows close to choking. On the basis of the results of this investigation, the ratio of areas is concluded to become especially critical in the design of turbines such as those designed to drive high-speed, high-specific weight-flow compressors where the turbine nozzles and rotor are both very close to choking.

Application of probabilistic analysis/design methods in space programs - The approaches, the status, and the needs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Robert S.; Townsend, John S.

1993-01-01

The prospective improvement of probabilistic methods for space program analysis/design entails the further development of theories, codes, and tools which match specific areas of application, the drawing of lessons from previous uses of probability and statistics data bases, the enlargement of data bases (especially in the field of structural failures), and the education of engineers and managers on the advantages of these methods. An evaluation is presently made of the current limitations of probabilistic engineering methods. Recommendations are made for specific applications.

Late Quaternary climate change shapes island biodiversity.

PubMed

Weigelt, Patrick; Steinbauer, Manuel Jonas; Cabral, Juliano Sarmento; Kreft, Holger

2016-04-07

Island biogeographical models consider islands either as geologically static with biodiversity resulting from ecologically neutral immigration-extinction dynamics, or as geologically dynamic with biodiversity resulting from immigration-speciation-extinction dynamics influenced by changes in island characteristics over millions of years. Present climate and spatial arrangement of islands, however, are rather exceptional compared to most of the Late Quaternary, which is characterized by recurrent cooler and drier glacial periods. These climatic oscillations over short geological timescales strongly affected sea levels and caused massive changes in island area, isolation and connectivity, orders of magnitude faster than the geological processes of island formation, subsidence and erosion considered in island theory. Consequences of these oscillations for present biodiversity remain unassessed. Here we analyse the effects of present and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) island area, isolation, elevation and climate on key components of angiosperm diversity on islands worldwide. We find that post-LGM changes in island characteristics, especially in area, have left a strong imprint on present diversity of endemic species. Specifically, the number and proportion of endemic species today is significantly higher on islands that were larger during the LGM. Native species richness, in turn, is mostly determined by present island characteristics. We conclude that an appreciation of Late Quaternary environmental change is essential to understand patterns of island endemism and its underlying evolutionary dynamics.

41 CFR 102-83.120 - What happens if an agency has a need to be in a specific urban area that is not a central city in...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... agency has a need to be in a specific urban area that is not a central city in a metropolitan area? 102... is not a central city in a metropolitan area? If an agency has a need to be in a specific urban area that is not a central city in a metropolitan area, then the agency must give first consideration to...

41 CFR 102-83.120 - What happens if an agency has a need to be in a specific urban area that is not a central city in...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... agency has a need to be in a specific urban area that is not a central city in a metropolitan area? 102... is not a central city in a metropolitan area? If an agency has a need to be in a specific urban area that is not a central city in a metropolitan area, then the agency must give first consideration to...

Quantitative evaluation of specific vulnerability to nitrate for groundwater resource protection based on process-based simulation model.

PubMed

Huan, Huan; Wang, Jinsheng; Zhai, Yuanzheng; Xi, Beidou; Li, Juan; Li, Mingxiao

2016-04-15

It has been proved that groundwater vulnerability assessment is an effective tool for groundwater protection. Nowadays, quantitative assessment methods for specific vulnerability are scarce due to limited cognition of complicated contaminant fate and transport processes in the groundwater system. In this paper, process-based simulation model for specific vulnerability to nitrate using 1D flow and solute transport model in the unsaturated vadose zone is presented for groundwater resource protection. For this case study in Jilin City of northeast China, rate constants of denitrification and nitrification as well as adsorption constants of ammonium and nitrate in the vadose zone were acquired by laboratory experiments. The transfer time at the groundwater table t50 was taken as the specific vulnerability indicator. Finally, overall vulnerability was assessed by establishing the relationship between groundwater net recharge, layer thickness and t50. The results suggested that the most vulnerable regions of Jilin City were mainly distributed in the floodplain of Songhua River and Mangniu River. The least vulnerable areas mostly appear in the second terrace and back of the first terrace. The overall area of low, relatively low and moderate vulnerability accounted for 76% of the study area, suggesting the relatively low possibility of suffering nitrate contamination. In addition, the sensitivity analysis showed that the most sensitive factors of specific vulnerability in the vadose zone included the groundwater net recharge rate, physical properties of soil medium and rate constants of nitrate denitrification. By validating the suitability of the process-based simulation model for specific vulnerability and comparing with index-based method by a group of integrated indicators, more realistic and accurate specific vulnerability mapping could be acquired by the process-based simulation model acquiring. In addition, the advantages, disadvantages, constraint conditions and applying prospects of the quantitative approach for specific vulnerability assessment were discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clark County, Nevada's Assessment of Land Use Conflicts Resulting from Shipments to Yucca Mountain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Christiansen, N.W.; Navis, I.; Matranga, E.

2007-07-01

This paper should help the reader understand the impact that the proposed Yucca Mountain spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste shipping campaign by rail and truck may have on the 'present and future uses of the land' that are impacted by these shipments in the Las Vegas Metropolitan area. In the FEIS, DOE states that, 'information useful for an evaluation of land-use and ownership impacts should identify the current ownership of the land that its activities could disturb, and the present and anticipated future uses of the land' (emphasis added). As stated, any information that helps evaluate the land usemore » and ownership impacts needs to look at the present and anticipated uses of the land. This paper looks at the change occurring in Clark County, specifically in the Las Vegas Metropolitan area, in regards to the anticipated use of the land. (authors)« less

AdaNET research plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcbride, John G.

1990-01-01

The mission of the AdaNET research effort is to determine how to increase the availability of reusable Ada components and associated software engineering technology to both private and Federal sectors. The effort is structured to define the requirements for transfer of Federally developed software technology, study feasible approaches to meeting the requirements, and to gain experience in applying various technologies and practices. The overall approach to the development of the AdaNET System Specification is presented. A work breakdown structure is presented with each research activity described in detail. The deliverables for each work area are summarized. The overall organization and responsibilities for each research area are described. The schedule and necessary resources are presented for each research activity. The estimated cost is summarized for each activity. The project plan is fully described in the Super Project Expert data file contained on the floppy disk attached to the back cover of this plan.

Cognitive function in hot environments: a question of methodology.

PubMed

Gaoua, N

2010-10-01

The physiological responses of thermal stress and its consequences on health have been well documented. However, the effect on cognitive function remains equivocal despite a substantial number of studies conducted in the area. Methodological discrepancies across different studies have made it difficult to conclude whether or not heat exposure per se has an adverse effect upon cognitive function and under what specific environmental and physiological conditions these alterations appear. This article gives an overview of the different confounding factors that have made it difficult to make conclusive interpretations. In addition, the current state of knowledge is presented and discussed with reference to the Global Workspace theory. Although previously presented conclusions are promising, much remains to be completed before understanding the mechanisms that could explain the relationship between heat exposure and cognitive function. Finally, recommendations are presented for further research in this area. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

MOF-templated synthesis of porous Co(3)O(4) concave nanocubes with high specific surface area and their gas sensing properties.

PubMed

Lü, Yinyun; Zhan, Wenwen; He, Yue; Wang, Yiting; Kong, Xiangjian; Kuang, Qin; Xie, Zhaoxiong; Zheng, Lansun

2014-03-26

Porous metal oxides nanomaterials with controlled morphology have received great attention because of their promising applications in catalysis, energy storage and conversion, gas sensing, etc. In this paper, porous Co3O4 concave nanocubes with extremely high specific surface area (120.9 m(2)·g(-1)) were synthesized simply by calcining Co-based metal-organic framework (Co-MOF, ZIF-67) templates at the optimized temperature (300 °C), and the formation mechanism of such highly porous structures as well as the influence of the calcination temperature are well explained by taking into account thermal behavior and intrinsic structural features of the Co-MOF precursors. The gas-sensing properties of the as-synthesized porous Co3O4 concave nanocubes were systematically tested towards volatile organic compounds including ethanol, acetone, toluene, and benzene. Experimental results reveal that the porous Co3O4 concave nanocubes present the highest sensitivity to ethanol with fast response/recovery time (< 10 s) and a low detection limit (at least 10 ppm). Such outstanding gas sensing performance of the porous Co3O4 concave nanocubes benefits from their high porosity, large specific surface area, and remarkable capabilities of surface-adsorbed oxygen.

Dissolution process analysis using model-free Noyes-Whitney integral equation.

PubMed

Hattori, Yusuke; Haruna, Yoshimasa; Otsuka, Makoto

2013-02-01

Drug dissolution process of solid dosages is theoretically described by Noyes-Whitney-Nernst equation. However, the analysis of the process is demonstrated assuming some models. Normally, the model-dependent methods are idealized and require some limitations. In this study, Noyes-Whitney integral equation was proposed and applied to represent the drug dissolution profiles of a solid formulation via the non-linear least squares (NLLS) method. The integral equation is a model-free formula involving the dissolution rate constant as a parameter. In the present study, several solid formulations were prepared via changing the blending time of magnesium stearate (MgSt) with theophylline monohydrate, α-lactose monohydrate, and crystalline cellulose. The formula could excellently represent the dissolution profile, and thereby the rate constant and specific surface area could be obtained by NLLS method. Since the long time blending coated the particle surface with MgSt, it was found that the water permeation was disturbed by its layer dissociating into disintegrant particles. In the end, the solid formulations were not disintegrated; however, the specific surface area gradually increased during the process of dissolution. The X-ray CT observation supported this result and demonstrated that the rough surface was dominant as compared to dissolution, and thus, specific surface area of the solid formulation gradually increased. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increased phase synchronization during continuous face integration measured simultaneously with EEG and fMRI.

PubMed

Kottlow, Mara; Jann, Kay; Dierks, Thomas; Koenig, Thomas

2012-08-01

Gamma zero-lag phase synchronization has been measured in the animal brain during visual binding. Human scalp EEG studies used a phase locking factor (trial-to-trial phase-shift consistency) or gamma amplitude to measure binding but did not analyze common-phase signals so far. This study introduces a method to identify networks oscillating with near zero-lag phase synchronization in human subjects. We presented unpredictably moving face parts (NOFACE) which - during some periods - produced a complete schematic face (FACE). The amount of zero-lag phase synchronization was measured using global field synchronization (GFS). GFS provides global information on the amount of instantaneous coincidences in specific frequencies throughout the brain. Gamma GFS was increased during the FACE condition. To localize the underlying areas, we correlated gamma GFS with simultaneously recorded BOLD responses. Positive correlates comprised the bilateral middle fusiform gyrus and the left precuneus. These areas may form a network of areas transiently synchronized during face integration, including face-specific as well as binding-specific regions and regions for visual processing in general. Thus, the amount of zero-lag phase synchronization between remote regions of the human visual system can be measured with simultaneously acquired EEG/fMRI. Copyright © 2012 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simulation of talking faces in the human brain improves auditory speech recognition

PubMed Central

von Kriegstein, Katharina; Dogan, Özgür; Grüter, Martina; Giraud, Anne-Lise; Kell, Christian A.; Grüter, Thomas; Kleinschmidt, Andreas; Kiebel, Stefan J.

2008-01-01

Human face-to-face communication is essentially audiovisual. Typically, people talk to us face-to-face, providing concurrent auditory and visual input. Understanding someone is easier when there is visual input, because visual cues like mouth and tongue movements provide complementary information about speech content. Here, we hypothesized that, even in the absence of visual input, the brain optimizes both auditory-only speech and speaker recognition by harvesting speaker-specific predictions and constraints from distinct visual face-processing areas. To test this hypothesis, we performed behavioral and neuroimaging experiments in two groups: subjects with a face recognition deficit (prosopagnosia) and matched controls. The results show that observing a specific person talking for 2 min improves subsequent auditory-only speech and speaker recognition for this person. In both prosopagnosics and controls, behavioral improvement in auditory-only speech recognition was based on an area typically involved in face-movement processing. Improvement in speaker recognition was only present in controls and was based on an area involved in face-identity processing. These findings challenge current unisensory models of speech processing, because they show that, in auditory-only speech, the brain exploits previously encoded audiovisual correlations to optimize communication. We suggest that this optimization is based on speaker-specific audiovisual internal models, which are used to simulate a talking face. PMID:18436648

Proposing priorities of intervention for the recovery of native fish populations using hierarchical ranking of environmental and exotic species impact.

PubMed

Aschonitis, V G; Gavioli, A; Lanzoni, M; Fano, E A; Feld, C; Castaldelli, G

2018-03-15

The freshwater populations of native fish species (Ns) have reached critical levels in many parts of the world due to combined habitat deterioration by human interventions and exotic fish species (Es) invasions. These alarming conditions require combined and well-designed interventions for restoring environmental quality and restricting Es invasion. The aim of the study is to propose a method to design spatially explicit priorities of intervention for the recovery of Ns populations in highly impacted freshwater systems by exotic multi-species invasion and water quality (WQ) degradation. WQ and Es are used as Ns descriptors, which require intervention. The method uses gradient analysis (ordination method of Canonical Correspondence Analysis) for assessing the weights of Ns descriptors' effects, which are further used to develop weighted severity indices; the severity index of WQ (Swq) and Es invasion (Se), respectively. Swq and Se are further merged to one combined total severity index St. The proposed method provides a) a ranking of the sites, based on the values of S t , which denotes the priority for combined intervention in space and can be visualized in maps, b) a ranking of the most important Ns descriptors for each site to perform site-specific interventions, and c) Es rankings based on their potential threat on Ns for species-specific interventions. WQ, Es and Ns data from 208 sampling sites located in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Northern Italy) were used as a case study for the presentation of the proposed method. The application of the method showed that the north and northwestern lowland areas of Emilia-Romagna region presented the higher priority for intervention since the Ns of these areas are the most impacted from combined Es invasions and WQ degradation. Specific Es belonging to cyprinids, which are mostly responsible for the decline of aquatic vegetation and the increase of water turbidity, and a top Es predator (Wels catfish) were mostly present in these areas. Additionally, the most important WQ stressors of Ns were found to be COD, BOD and temperature that are all connected to oxygen depletion. The aforementioned conditions in the areas described by high priority for intervention can be used as a basis for the development of specific Ns conservation practices targeting the containment of the most harmful Es, the restoration of aquatic vegetation and the improvement of oxygen conditions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water quality of the Upper West Branch Susquehanna River and tributary streams between Curwensville and Renovo, Pennsylvania, May and July 1984

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hainly, R.A.; Barker, J.L.

1993-01-01

The soils and rocks of the Upper West Branch Susquehanna River basin, from its headwaters downstream for 150 miles, are laden with pyritic materials that have the potential to produce acid mine drainage. The effects of mine drainage are severe, particularly in the reach between Curwensville and Renovo where present water quality cannot support viable populations of benthic macroinvertebrates or fish. During base-flow periods in May and July 1984, streamflow and water quality were measured at four sites on the West Branch Susquehanna River and near the mouths of 94 tributaries. Water-quality constituents determined were temperature, specific conductance, pH, acidity, alkalinity, and concentrations of dissolved sulfate and total and dissolved forms of iron, manganese, aluminum, and zinc. The data collected for the study indicate that the predominant influence on water quality of the tributaries is land use. An area where few or no coal deposits or disturbed area were present was found to have relatively good surface-water quality (median pH was nearly 5.5 units), whereas areas where coal mining was active in the basin, or where large areas of unreclaimed mines were present, were found to have poorest water quality (median pH was generally less than 4.0 units). In general, Moshannon, Sinnemahoning, Clearfield, and Kettle Creeks were found to be the largest tributary sources of acidity and total-recoverable iron to the river. During the May sampling, Moshannon, Sinnemahoning, and Clearfield Creeks contributed 63 percent of the 365 tons/day of acidity, and Moshannon and Clearfield Creeks contributed 76 percent of the 44.8 tons/day of total-recoverable iron that were discharged to the river. During the July sampling, Moshannon, Kettle, and Clearfield Creeks contributed 60 percent of the 131 tons/day of acidity, and Moshannon and Kettle Creeks contributed 51 percent of the 6.5 tons/day of total-recoverable iron discharged to the river . The West Branch Susquehanna River was found to have pH ranging from 5.4 to 6.5 units and specific conductance ranging from 267 to 310 microsiemens per centimeter at the most upstream site at Curwensville. The water quality was most degraded at the site at Karthaus (pH 3.9 to 4.1 units, specific conductance 330 to 610 microsiemens per centimeter). Quality gradually improved downstream to the site at Renovo (pH 3.8 to 4.6 units, specific conductance 200 to 392 microsiemens per centimeter), although the quality did not recover to that found at Curwensville.

Sentence processing selectivity in Broca's area: evident for structure but not syntactic movement.

PubMed

Rogalsky, Corianne; Almeida, Diogo; Sprouse, Jon; Hickok, Gregory

The role of Broca's area in sentence processing is hotly debated. Prominent hypotheses include that Broca's area supports sentence comprehension via syntax-specific processes ("syntactic movement" in particular), hierarchical structure building or working memory. In the present fMRI study we adopt a within subject, across task approach using targeted sentence-level contrasts and non-sentential comparison tasks to address these hypotheses regarding the role of Broca's area in sentence processing. For clarity, we have presented findings as three experiments: (i) Experiment 1 examines selectivity for a particular type of sentence construction, namely those containing syntactic movement. Standard syntactic movement distance effects in Broca's area were replicated but no difference was found between movement and non-movement sentences in Broca's area at the group level or consistently in individual subjects. (ii) Experiment 2 examines selectivity for sentences versus non-sentences, to assess claims regarding the role of Broca's area in hierarchical structure building. Group and individual results differ, but both identify subregions of Broca's area that are selective for sentence structure. (iii) Experiment 3 assesses whether activations in Broca's area are selective for sentences when contrasted with simple subvocal articulation. Group results suggest shared resources for sentence processing and articulation in Broca's area, but individual subject analyses contradict this finding. We conclude that Broca's area is not selectively involved in processing syntactic movement, but that subregions are selectively responsive to sentence structure. Our findings also reinforce Fedorenko & Kanwishser's call for the use of more individual subject analyses in functional imaging studies of sentence processing in Broca's area, as group findings can obscure selective response patterns.

Experimental investigations of aeration efficiency in high-head gated circular conduits.

PubMed

Cihat Tuna, M; Ozkan, Fahri; Baylar, Ahmet

2014-01-01

The primary purpose of water aeration is to increase the oxygen saturation of the water. This can be achieved by using hydraulic structures because of substantial air bubble entrainment at these structures. Closed conduit aeration is a particular instance of this. While there has been a great deal of research on air-demand ratio within closed conduit, very little research has specifically addressed aeration efficiency of closed conduit. In the present work an experimental study was conducted to investigate the aeration efficiency of high-head gated circular conduits. Results showed that high-head gated circular conduits were effective for oxygen transfer. The effects of Froude number and ratio of the water cross-sectional flow area to the conduit cross-sectional area on aeration efficiency were particularly significant, whereas the effect of conduit length was only moderate. Further, a design formula for the aeration efficiency was presented relating the aeration efficiency to ratio of water cross-sectional flow area to conduit cross-sectional area and Froude number. The obtained results will be useful in future modeling processes and aid the practicing engineer in predicting aeration efficiency for design purposes.

The impact of long-term mercury contamination on the new human exposure scenarios in the North Region of Mato Grosso, Amazon basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Souza Hacon, S.; Aparecido de Farinas, R.; Reis Argento, R.; Campos, R. C.; Rossi, A. P.; Wasserman, J.

2003-05-01

The present study, addresses the long-term mercury contamination as consequence of the goldmining activities taking into account the fish Hg levels and fish consumption in different areas in the north region of the Mato Grosso State. The study involves the enviromnental characterization of the region, glor, and the fish-farming areas. Geographic Information has been emphased on the cultural and social habits by a specific questionnaire. A monitoring mercury program was carried out, taking different fish species from contaminated and background areas. The results show that in Alta Floresta Hg levels of the piscivorous fish are decreasing in comparison with the previous exposure scenario. The present exposure scenario ranges from 0.09 to 3.9 μg/kg/d. The highest exposure dose was detected in the rural area of Paranaíta and the lowest in Nova Monte Verde. The results of this study support govermental decision-makers and local community's representatives to deliberate conservative measures to protect human health.

Overview of transboundary pollution issues along the Mexico-US border

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Medina, E.J.

1996-12-31

This paper presents an overview of pollution issues affecting the Mexico-US border region, and briefly traces the development of the international legal framework which covers Mexico-US border relations on environmental issues. Examples from different border areas are used to illustrate surface water, groundwater, air pollution, and hazardous waste problems associated with the rapid growth and industrialization of areas along the border. Some of the specific issues presented include the Tijuana-San Diego sewage problem, the New River toxic discharges, Nogales Wash groundwater pollution, air pollution in Cd. Juarez-El Paso, and the Alco-Pacifico lead contamination case in Tijuana, B.C. Additional research tomore » characterize the extent of border area pollution and resultant ecological impacts is fundamental in the development of binational policies to deal with these problems. Another priority need is the application of risk assessment models, which will help policy makers on both sides of the border to coordinate efforts and allocate resources to solve this crisis. Immediate attention should be directed toward acquiring information necessary to evaluate the impacts of border-area pollution on natural ecosystems.« less

High Energy Cosmic Electrons: Messengers from Nearby Cosmic Ray Sources or Dark Matter?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moiseev, Alexander

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the recent discoveries by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope in reference to high energy cosmic electrons, and whether their source is cosmic rays or dark matter. Specific interest is devoted to Cosmic Ray electrons anisotropy,

South Carolina Guide for Mathematics for the Technologies (Applied Vocational Mathematics).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Charles; And Others

In this instructional guide, a third-level, two-semester mathematics course specifically for the student who plans a career in a vocational field is presented. The course is designed to meet the needs of students with varying mathematical backgrounds and to teach the mathematical skills required by various technical areas. In this practical…

Science for Deaf Children. The Lexington School for the Deaf Education Series, Book V.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leitman, Allan

Intended for use by teachers and schools for the deaf, the booklet presents activities and units which may be used in planning and developing a science curriculum. A workshop classroom is described. Attention is given to teaching methods specifically applicable to the deaf. Suggested subject areas, materials, or activities for preschool programs…

The Second National Survey of Instructional Uses of School Computers: A Preliminary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Henry Jay

This report presents preliminary descriptive data from a national survey of U.S. elementary schools, conducted in 1985, which focused on the schools' instructional uses of computers, including efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Specific topic areas covered include: (1) what hardware is in different types of schools; (2) which teachers use the…

Can We Find Solutions with People? Participatory Action Research with Small Organic Producers in Andalusia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuellar-Padilla, Mamen; Calle-Collado, Angel

2011-01-01

This paper reports on an experiment linking science with people. Taking as a paradigm the holistic scientific approach fostered by agroecology, we present a methodological proposal for the implementation of participatory action research in rural areas. Our aims were various: to solve a specific problem, i.e. the exclusion of small- and…

PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE ON THE CHANGING IDENTITY OF GRADUATE EARTH SCIENCE EDUCATION (ATLANTA, JANUARY 25-26, 1965).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WEAVER, CHARLES E.

DISCUSSED ARE THE CHANGING IDENTITY OF GRADUATE EARTH SCIENCE EDUCATION, THE FACTORS WHICH PRECIPITATED THESE CHANGES, AND THE RESULTING PROBLEMS. THE CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED EARTH SCIENTISTS WITH DIVERSE SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUNDS FROM A BROAD GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. SPECIFIC TOPICS COVERED INCLUDED--(1) PRESENT DEVELOPMENTS AND FUTURE OF EARTH…

Human factors in software development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Curtis, B.

1986-01-01

This book presents an overview of ergonomics/human factors in software development, recent research, and classic papers. Articles are drawn from the following areas of psychological research on programming: cognitive ergonomics, cognitive psychology, and psycholinguistics. Topics examined include: theoretical models of how programmers solve technical problems, the characteristics of programming languages, specification formats in behavioral research and psychological aspects of fault diagnosis.

Multidomain, multirecord-type Datatrieve-11 databases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Horning, R.R.

1983-01-01

Data bases consisting of multiple domains and multirecord-type domains present special problems in design, loading, maintenance, and report generation. The logical association of records is a fundamental concern in all these problem areas. This paper describes techniques for dealing with this and other specifics using Datatrieve-11, Sort-11, FORTRAN 77, and the RSX-11M Indirect Command File Processor.

High performance ultracapacitors with carbon nanomaterials and ionic liquids

DOEpatents

Lu, Wen; Henry, Kent Douglas

2012-10-09

The present invention is directed to the use of carbon nanotubes and/or electrolyte structures in various electrochemical devices, such as ultracapacitors having an ionic liquid electrolyte. The carbon nanotubes are preferably aligned carbon nanotubes. Compared to randomly entangled carbon nanotubes, aligned carbon nanotubes can have better defined pore structures and higher specific surface areas.

Why People Don't Listen to Warnings: With Discussion of Implications for Futurists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koster, Fran

The document reviews recent literature on warning processes, evaluates the effectiveness of warnings in changing public policy and personal behavior, and applies warning literature to specific problem areas. Warning is interpreted to include a statement of the problem and a proposed course of action. The document is presented in six parts. Part…

Educational Furniture for the 16-19 Age Group: Specification and Design. Design Note 30.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furniture Industry Research Association, Stevenage (England).

A 1982 British study examined the furniture needs of 16-19 year-old students. This report presented the findings on the technical and performance requirements in terms of durability and ergonomics. This report examines the furniture requirements in teaching spaces, social, refreshment and private study areas, storage requirements for pupils'…

Tightening the Grip over an Elusive System: Innovative Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vennakkadan, Abdul Latheef; Irudayasamy, Julius

2014-01-01

The present study examines the need for a specific approach to spelling instruction in ELT curriculum for ESL/EFL learners as it is an area where the L2 learners encounter a lot of learning difficulties or experience both inter/intra linguistic transfer. The study further explores the rationale for combating the spelling difficulties of ESL/EFL…

Productivity Indicators for the Rural Poor in Developing Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Jeffrey

2007-01-01

Meeting the Millennium Development Goals will necessarily require a heavy focus on rural areas, where most of the world's poor are to be found. More specifically, policy will need to raise the productivity of this group, which includes farmers, wage labourers and those suffering from disease and malnutrition. Yet, at present, no index exists which…

76 FR 60900 - Jack A. Danton, D.O.; Decision and Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-30

... treatment. [Tr. 392]. 7. Dr. Danton described how the human body becomes dependent on pain medications and... presented a medical complaint, identified a specific area of her body that was the cause of pain and... entail touching the body'' as ``in the case of chronic injury `you can't see--whether you're putting your...

Making Facts Come Alive: Choosing Quality Nonfiction Literature K-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bamford, Rosemary A., Ed.; Kristo, Janice V., Ed.

Noting that nonfiction literature for children is plentiful, this book presents 16 essays by educators who write about selecting and sharing the best in nonfiction with elementary and middle school students. The ideas in the book progress from trends in nonfiction, criteria for selection, and nonfiction in specific curricular areas to use in the…

University Teachers' Perceptions of Online Informal Learning of English (OILE)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toffoli, Denyze; Sockett, Geoff

2015-01-01

Online Informal Learning of English (OILE) involves the many different types of language practices that non-specialist EFL students of English are involved in on the Internet. This article reviews previous studies in the area and summarises the specific outcomes that OILE is thought to produce. It then presents an analysis of a survey of teachers'…

NASA Glenn Research Center Electrochemistry Branch Battery and Fuel Cell Development Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manzo, Michelle A.

2011-01-01

This presentation covers an overview of NASA Glenn s history and heritage in the development of electrochemical systems for aerospace applications. Current developments related to batteries and fuel cells are addressed. Specific areas of focus are Li-ion batteries and Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel cells systems and their development for future Exploration missions.

New GIS approaches to wild land mapping in Europe

Treesearch

Steffen Fritz; Steve Carver; Linda See

2000-01-01

This paper outlines modifications and new approaches to wild land mapping developed specifically for the United Kingdom and European areas. In particular, national level reconnaissance and local level mapping of wild land in the UK and Scotland are presented. A national level study for the UK is undertaken, and a local study focuses on the Cairngorm Mountains in...

The General Concept of Benchmarking and Its Application in Higher Education in Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nazarko, Joanicjusz; Kuzmicz, Katarzyna Anna; Szubzda-Prutis, Elzbieta; Urban, Joanna

2009-01-01

The purposes of this paper are twofold: a presentation of the theoretical basis of benchmarking and a discussion on practical benchmarking applications. Benchmarking is also analyzed as a productivity accelerator. The authors study benchmarking usage in the private and public sectors with due consideration of the specificities of the two areas.…

Social Difficulties and Victimization in Children with SLI at 11 Years of Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conti-Ramsden, Gina; Botting, Nicola

2004-01-01

Specific language impairment is sometimes thought to be associated with concurrent difficulties in the area of social and behavioral development (N. Bolting & G. Conti-Ramsden, 2000; D. P. Cantwell & L. Baker, 1987; M. Fujiki, B. Brinton, & C. Todd, 1996; S. Redmond & M. Rice, 1998). The present study follows a group of 242…

Poverty and Disability in Eastern and Western Cape Provinces, South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loeb, Mitchell; Eide, Arne H.; Jelsma, Jennifer; Toni, Mzolisi ka; Maart, Soraya

2008-01-01

The impact of disability on the living conditions of people living in specifically resource-poor areas in South Africa has not previously been addressed. This paper presents a comparison of people with a disability and their non-disabled peers with respect to some key poverty indicators among a sample of Xhosa speaking individuals in resource-poor…

Get Kids Moving: Simple Activities To Build Gross-Motor Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Child Care, 2003

2003-01-01

Highlights the importance of activities to build gross motor skills and provides hints for encouraging such activities. Specific areas of activities presented are: (1) running and jumping; (2) music games; (3) action games; (4) races; (5) bed sheets or parachutes; (6) hula hoops; (7) balls; (8) batting; (9) balance; and (10) creative movement. (SD)

Chemistry To-day, A Guide for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France).

This guide is composed of 18 papers prepared by school and university teachers for school teachers and other curriculum developers. The guide is not intended to be a textbook for the teaching of chemistry in schools; nor is it a detailed manual on how to teach specific subjects. It is, rather, a presentation of those areas of chemistry which, in…

Exploring Railroad Track Ecology as an Outdoor Teaching Technique.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rillo, Thomas J.

Railroad right-of-ways can provide an outdoor classroom where many indigenous organisms and other natural resources can be directly experienced. A typical class can be divided into 3 or 4 segments, with each representing a study group assigned to a specific area of investigation. Suggested activities and questions are presented for the following:…

Teacher's Helper. A Handbook on Self-Care: Feeding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Filemyr, Frank

The booklet presents feeding techniques for teachers and parents of handicapped and normal young children who can't or won't eat. Specific solutions are offered to various problem areas focusing on the eating and feeding processes. The first section covers three general problems: the child does not feed him or herself, the child does not drink…

Early Cerebral Constraints on Reading Skills in School-Age Children: An MRI Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borst, G.; Cachia, A.; Tissier, C.; Ahr, E.; Simon, G.; Houdé, O.

2016-01-01

Reading relies on a left-lateralized network of brain areas that include the pre-lexical processing regions of the ventral stream. Specifically, a region in the left lateral occipitotemporal sulcus (OTS) is consistently more activated for visual presentations of words than for other categories of stimuli. This region undergoes dramatic changes at…

Monthly Themes and Learning Centers for Young Children with Visual and Multiple Impairments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Paula J.

This paper describes the learning center approach of the preschool and kindergarten programs at the Maryland School for the Blind. Units are presented in monthly themes suggested by the local school curriculum, and this thematic approach is incorporated into the specific learning centers. The classroom is divided into six main learning areas: (1)…

Daughters with Disabilities: Reframing Science, Math, and Technology for Girls with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammrich, Penny L.; Price, Lynda; Nourse, Steven

This report describes a new approach to teaching science, math, and technology to students, especially girls, with disabilities, who frequently do not have access to appropriate instruction in these critical areas for future academic success. Many specific suggestions, along with a sample lesson that can be used immediately, are presented as part…

75 FR 24718 - Town Hall Discussion With the Director of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-05

... Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) fiscal year (FY) 2010 priorities. In addition, FDA is interested in... importance to the medical device industry. CDRH is specifically interested in addressing the following.... Background CDRH has announced four priority areas of activity for FY 2010, each of which presents significant...

Forcible Rape. A National Survey of the Response by Prosecutors. Prosecutors' Volume 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Battelle Memorial Inst., Seattle, WA. Law and Justice Study Center.

This report presents the results of a nationwide survey of current law enforcement practices in response to the crime of forcible rape. A total of 150 prosecutor agencies were sampled. Respondents were asked to provide information regarding their agencies' general policies and specific practices in the following areas: classification methods;…

Macrophage Biochemistry, Activation and Function

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

vacuolar apparatus become more abundant. Functional capabilities, including phagocytic activity, protein synthesis and surface receptors, also increase...properties of cell components of other tissues has led to the following assignment of marker enzymes to specific macrophage components. This assessment is...subfractions. The surface area of each histogram bar then gives the frac- tional amount of constituent present within each normalized fraction. Distribution

Functional traits of the understory plant community of a pyrogenic longleaf pine forest across environmental gradients.

PubMed

Ames, Gregory M; Anderson, Steven M; Ungberg, Eric A; Wright, Justin P

2017-08-01

Understanding and predicting the response of plant communities to environmental changes and disturbances such as fire requires an understanding of the functional traits present in the system, including within and across species variability, and their dynamics over time. These data are difficult to obtain as few studies provide comprehensive information for more than a few traits or species, rarely cover more than a single growing season, and usually present only summary statistics of trait values. As part of a larger study seeking to understand the dynamics of plant communities in response to different prescribed fire regimes, we measured the functional traits of the understory plant communities located in over 140 permanent plots spanning strong gradients in soil moisture in a pyrogenic longleaf pine forest in North Carolina, USA, over a four-year period from 2011 and 2014. We present over 120,000 individual trait measurements from over 130 plant species representing 91 genera from 47 families. We include data on the following 18 traits: specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf area, leaf length, leaf width, leaf perimeter, plant height, leaf nitrogen, leaf carbon, leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio, water use efficiency, time to ignition, maximum flame height, maximum burn temperature, mass-specific burn time, mass-specific smolder time, branching architecture, and the ratio of leaf matter consumed by fire. We also include information on locations, soil moisture, relative elevation, soil bulk density, and fire histories for each site. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Mesoporous silica obtained with methyltriethoxysilane as co-precursor in alkaline medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putz, Ana-Maria; Wang, Kunzhou; Len, Adél; Plocek, Jiri; Bezdicka, Petr; Kopitsa, Gennady P.; Khamova, Tamara V.; Ianăşi, Cătălin; Săcărescu, Liviu; Mitróová, Zuzana; Savii, Cecilia; Yan, Minhao; Almásy, László

2017-12-01

Mesoporous silica particles have been synthesized by sol-gel method from tetraethoxysilane (tetraethylorthosilicate, TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES), in ethanol and water mixture, at different ratios of the of the silica precursors. Ammonia was used as catalyst at room temperature and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) as the structure directing agent. Nitrogen sorption, X-ray diffraction and small-angle neutron scattering gave information on the evolution of the gel structure and pore morphologies in the function of MTES/TEOS molar ratio. Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis showed that with addition of MTES the exothermic peak indicating the oxidation of the low molecular weight organic fragments shift to higher temperature. A room-temperature, one-pot synthesis of MCM-41 type materials is presented, in which the variation of the MTES concentration allows to change the hydrophobicity, preserving the specific properties materials, like the ordered pore structure, large specific surface area and high porosity. Specifically, the obtained materials had cylindrical pores, specific surface areas up to 1101 m2/g and total pore volumes up to 0.473 cm3/g. The obtained mesoporous materials are susceptible for further functionalization to improve their selective uptake of guest species in drug delivery applications.

Trajectory Specification for Automation of Terminal Air Traffic Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paielli, Russell A.

2016-01-01

"Trajectory specification" is the explicit bounding and control of aircraft tra- jectories such that the position at each point in time is constrained to a precisely defined volume of space. The bounding space is defined by cross-track, along-track, and vertical tolerances relative to a reference trajectory that specifies position as a function of time. The tolerances are dynamic and will be based on the aircraft nav- igation capabilities and the current traffic situation. A standard language will be developed to represent these specifications and to communicate them by datalink. Assuming conformance, trajectory specification can guarantee safe separation for an arbitrary period of time even in the event of an air traffic control (ATC) sys- tem or datalink failure, hence it can help to achieve the high level of safety and reliability needed for ATC automation. As a more proactive form of ATC, it can also maximize airspace capacity and reduce the reliance on tactical backup systems during normal operation. It applies to both enroute airspace and the terminal area around airports, but this paper focuses on arrival spacing in the terminal area and presents ATC algorithms and software for achieving a specified delay of runway arrival time.

Trajectory Specification for Terminal Air Traffic: Pairwise Conflict Detection and Resolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paielli, Russ; Erzberger, Heinz

2017-01-01

Trajectory specification is the explicit bounding and control of aircraft trajectories such that the position at each point in time is constrained to a precisely defined volume of space. The bounding space is defined by cross-track, along-track, and vertical tolerances relative to a reference trajectory that specifies position as a function of time. The tolerances are dynamic and will be based on the aircraft navigation capabilities and the current traffic situation. A standard language will be developed to represent these specifications and to communicate them by datalink. Assuming conformance, trajectory specification can guarantee safe separation for an arbitrary period of time even in the event of an air traffic control (ATC) system or datalink failure, hence it can help to achieve the high level of safety and reliability needed for ATC automation. As a more proactive form of ATC, it can also maximize airspace capacity and reduce the reliance on tactical backup systems during normal operation. It applies to both enroute airspace and the terminal area around airports, but this paper focuses on the terminal area and presents algorithms and software for spacing arrivals and deconflicting both arrivals and departures.

A novel high specific surface area conducting paper material composed of polypyrrole and Cladophora cellulose.

PubMed

Mihranyan, Albert; Nyholm, Leif; Bennett, Alfonso E Garcia; Strømme, Maria

2008-10-02

We present a novel conducting polypyrrole-based composite material, obtained by polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of iron(III) chloride on a cellulose substrate derived from the environmentally polluting Cladophora sp. algae. The material, which was doped with chloride ions, was molded into paper sheets and characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, N 2 gas adsorption analysis, cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and conductivity measurements at varying relative humidities. The specific surface area of the composite was found to be 57 m (2)/g and the fibrous structure of the Cladophora cellulose remained intact even after a 50 nm thick layer of polypyrrole had been coated on the cellulose fibers. The composite could be repeatedly used for electrochemically controlled extraction and desorption of chloride and an ion exchanging capacity of 370 C per g of composite was obtained as a result of the high surface area of the cellulose substrate. The influence of the oxidation and reduction potentials on the chloride ion exchange capacity and the nucleation of delocalized positive charges, forming conductive paths in the polypyrrole film, was also investigated. The creation of conductive paths during oxidation followed an effective medium rather than a percolative behavior, indicating that some conduction paths survive the polymer reduction steps. The present high surface area material should be well-suited for use in, e.g., electrochemically controlled ion exchange or separation devices, as well as sensors based on the fact that the material is compact, light, mechanically stable, and moldable into paper sheets.

An AdaBoost Based Approach to Automatic Classification and Detection of Buildings Footprints, Vegetation Areas and Roads from Satellite Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonulalan, Cansu

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for applications to monitor the targets related to land-use, using remote sensing images. Advances in remote sensing satellites give rise to the research in this area. Many applications ranging from urban growth planning to homeland security have already used the algorithms for automated object recognition from remote sensing imagery. However, they have still problems such as low accuracy on detection of targets, specific algorithms for a specific area etc. In this thesis, we focus on an automatic approach to classify and detect building foot-prints, road networks and vegetation areas. The automatic interpretation of visual data is a comprehensive task in computer vision field. The machine learning approaches improve the capability of classification in an intelligent way. We propose a method, which has high accuracy on detection and classification. The multi class classification is developed for detecting multiple objects. We present an AdaBoost-based approach along with the supervised learning algorithm. The combi- nation of AdaBoost with "Attentional Cascade" is adopted from Viola and Jones [1]. This combination decreases the computation time and gives opportunity to real time applications. For the feature extraction step, our contribution is to combine Haar-like features that include corner, rectangle and Gabor. Among all features, AdaBoost selects only critical features and generates in extremely efficient cascade structured classifier. Finally, we present and evaluate our experimental results. The overall system is tested and high performance of detection is achieved. The precision rate of the final multi-class classifier is over 98%.

Brownian excursions on combs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dean, David S.; Jansons, Kalvis M.

1993-03-01

In this paper we use techniques from Ito excursion theory to analyze Brownian motion on generalized combs. Ito excursion theory is a little-known area of probability theory and we therefore present a brief introduction for the uninitiated. A general method for analyzing transport along the backbone of the comb is demonstrated and the specific case of a comb whose teeth are scaling branching trees is examined. We then present a recursive method for evaluating the distribution of the first passage times on hierarchical combs.

Atomic cluster collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korol, Andrey V.; Solov'yov, Andrey

2013-01-01

Atomic cluster collisions are a field of rapidly emerging research interest by both experimentalists and theorists. The international symposium on atomic cluster collisions (ISSAC) is the premier forum to present cutting-edge research in this field. It was established in 2003 and the most recent conference was held in Berlin, Germany in July of 2011. This Topical Issue presents original research results from some of the participants, who attended this conference. This issues specifically focuses on two research areas, namely Clusters and Fullerenes in External Fields and Nanoscale Insights in Radiation Biodamage.

Mapping the human brain during a specific Vojta's tactile input: the ipsilateral putamen's role.

PubMed

Sanz-Esteban, Ismael; Calvo-Lobo, Cesar; Ríos-Lago, Marcos; Álvarez-Linera, Juan; Muñoz-García, Daniel; Rodríguez-Sanz, David

2018-03-01

A century of research in human brain parcellation has demonstrated that different brain areas are associated with functional tasks. New neuroscientist perspectives to achieve the parcellation of the human brain have been developed to know the brain areas activation and its relationship with different stimuli. This descriptive study aimed to compare brain regions activation by specific tactile input (STI) stimuli according to the Vojta protocol (STI-group) to a non-STI stimulation (non-STI-group). An exploratory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was performed. The 2 groups of participants were passively stimulated by an expert physical therapist using the same paradigm structure, although differing in the place of stimulation. The stimulation was presented to participants using a block design in all cases. A sample of 16 healthy participants, 5 men and 11 women, with mean age 31.31 ± 8.13 years was recruited. Indeed, 12 participants were allocated in the STI-group and 4 participants in the non-STI-group. fMRI was used to map the human brain in vivo while these tactile stimuli were being applied. Data were analyzed using a general linear model in SPM12 implemented in MATLAB. Differences between groups showed a greater activation in the right cortical areas (temporal and frontal lobes), subcortical regions (thalamus, brainstem, and basal nuclei), and in the cerebellum (anterior lobe). STI-group had specific difference brain activation areas, such as the ipsilateral putamen. Future studies should study clinical implications in neurorehabilitation patients.

Mimotopes identify conformational epitopes on parvalbumin, the major fish allergen.

PubMed

Untersmayr, Eva; Szalai, Krisztina; Riemer, Angelika B; Hemmer, Wolfgang; Swoboda, Ines; Hantusch, Brigitte; Schöll, Isabella; Spitzauer, Susanne; Scheiner, Otto; Jarisch, Reinhart; Boltz-Nitulescu, George; Jensen-Jarolim, Erika

2006-03-01

Parvalbumin, the major fish allergen, is recognized by allergen-specific IgE of more than 90% of all fish-allergic patients. A detailed knowledge of allergenic structures is crucial for developing a vaccine inducing blocking antibodies specifically directed towards the IgE binding epitopes. In the present study we aimed to use the phage display technique to generate mimotopes, which mimic epitopes on parvalbumin. Parvalbumin-specific IgE was purified from sera of fish-allergic patients and used for screening of a constrained decamer phage library. After four rounds of biopanning using parvalbumin-specific IgE, five phage clones were selected which were specifically recognized by parvalbumin-specific IgE as well as IgG. DNA sequencing and peptide alignment revealed a high degree of sequence similarities between the mimotopes. Interestingly, on the surface of natural parvalbumin three regions could be defined by computational mimotope matching. In accordance, previously defined allergenic peptides of cod parvalbumin highlighted areas in close proximity or overlapping with the mimotope matching sites. From the presented data we conclude that our approach identified conformational epitopes of parvalbumin relevant for IgE and IgG binding. We suggest that these mimotopes are suitable candidates for an epitope-specific immunotherapy of fish-allergic patients.

Perceptual Learning Selectively Refines Orientation Representations in Early Visual Cortex

PubMed Central

Jehee, Janneke F.M.; Ling, Sam; Swisher, Jascha D.; van Bergen, Ruben S.; Tong, Frank

2013-01-01

Although practice has long been known to improve perceptual performance, the neural basis of this improvement in humans remains unclear. Using fMRI in conjunction with a novel signal detection-based analysis, we show that extensive practice selectively enhances the neural representation of trained orientations in the human visual cortex. Twelve observers practiced discriminating small changes in the orientation of a laterally presented grating over 20 or more daily one-hour training sessions. Training on average led to a two-fold improvement in discrimination sensitivity, specific to the trained orientation and the trained location, with minimal improvement found for untrained orthogonal orientations or for orientations presented in the untrained hemifield. We measured the strength of orientation-selective responses in individual voxels in early visual areas (V1–V4) using signal detection measures, both pre- and post-training. Although the overall amplitude of the BOLD response was no greater after training, practice nonetheless specifically enhanced the neural representation of the trained orientation at the trained location. This training-specific enhancement of orientation-selective responses was observed in the primary visual cortex (V1) as well as higher extrastriate visual areas V2–V4, and moreover, reliably predicted individual differences in the behavioral effects of perceptual learning. These results demonstrate that extensive training can lead to targeted functional reorganization of the human visual cortex, refining the cortical representation of behaviorally relevant information. PMID:23175828

Perceptual learning selectively refines orientation representations in early visual cortex.

PubMed

Jehee, Janneke F M; Ling, Sam; Swisher, Jascha D; van Bergen, Ruben S; Tong, Frank

2012-11-21

Although practice has long been known to improve perceptual performance, the neural basis of this improvement in humans remains unclear. Using fMRI in conjunction with a novel signal detection-based analysis, we show that extensive practice selectively enhances the neural representation of trained orientations in the human visual cortex. Twelve observers practiced discriminating small changes in the orientation of a laterally presented grating over 20 or more daily 1 h training sessions. Training on average led to a twofold improvement in discrimination sensitivity, specific to the trained orientation and the trained location, with minimal improvement found for untrained orthogonal orientations or for orientations presented in the untrained hemifield. We measured the strength of orientation-selective responses in individual voxels in early visual areas (V1-V4) using signal detection measures, both before and after training. Although the overall amplitude of the BOLD response was no greater after training, practice nonetheless specifically enhanced the neural representation of the trained orientation at the trained location. This training-specific enhancement of orientation-selective responses was observed in the primary visual cortex (V1) as well as higher extrastriate visual areas V2-V4, and moreover, reliably predicted individual differences in the behavioral effects of perceptual learning. These results demonstrate that extensive training can lead to targeted functional reorganization of the human visual cortex, refining the cortical representation of behaviorally relevant information.

The Orthoptera of Castro Verde Special Protection Area (Southern Portugal): new data and conservation value

PubMed Central

Pina, Sílvia; Vasconcelos, Sasha; Reino, Luís; Santana, Joana; Beja, Pedro; Sánchez-Oliver, Juan S.; Catry, Inês; Moreira, Francisco; Ferreira, Sónia

2017-01-01

Abstract With the increasing awareness of the need for Orthoptera conservation, greater efforts must be gathered to implement specific monitoring schemes. Despite recent surveys, little is known about Portuguese Orthoptera populations. This study was performed in 2014 and 2015 mainly in Castro Verde Special Protection Area (SPA), southern Portugal, and is the first Orthoptera inventory conducted in the area. A total of 35 Orthoptera species was recorded, with two new species reported for Portugal. We provide species’ habitat occurrences within the protected area and use information on the conservation status and the Iberian distribution of each documented species to discuss the importance of Castro Verde SPA for Orthoptera conservation. The data presented here sheds new light on Castro Verde SPA biodiversity and emphasizes the inclusion of this area in the conservation of Orthoptera diversity, particularly in the protection of threatened endemic species. PMID:29200922

The Orthoptera of Castro Verde Special Protection Area (Southern Portugal): new data and conservation value.

PubMed

Pina, Sílvia; Vasconcelos, Sasha; Reino, Luís; Santana, Joana; Beja, Pedro; Sánchez-Oliver, Juan S; Catry, Inês; Moreira, Francisco; Ferreira, Sónia

2017-01-01

With the increasing awareness of the need for Orthoptera conservation, greater efforts must be gathered to implement specific monitoring schemes. Despite recent surveys, little is known about Portuguese Orthoptera populations. This study was performed in 2014 and 2015 mainly in Castro Verde Special Protection Area (SPA), southern Portugal, and is the first Orthoptera inventory conducted in the area. A total of 35 Orthoptera species was recorded, with two new species reported for Portugal. We provide species' habitat occurrences within the protected area and use information on the conservation status and the Iberian distribution of each documented species to discuss the importance of Castro Verde SPA for Orthoptera conservation. The data presented here sheds new light on Castro Verde SPA biodiversity and emphasizes the inclusion of this area in the conservation of Orthoptera diversity, particularly in the protection of threatened endemic species.

A Policy Alternative Analysis and Simplified Scoring Method to Assess Policy Options for Marine Conservation Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharuga, S. M.; Reams, M.

2016-02-01

Traditional approaches to marine conservation and management are increasingly being found as inadequate; and, consequently, more complex ecosystem-based approaches to protecting marine ecosystems are growing in popularity. Ecosystem-based approaches, however, can be particularly challenging at a local level where resources and knowledge of specific marine conservation components may be limited. Marine conservation areas are known by a variety of names globally, but can be divided into four general types: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Marine Reserves, Fishery Reserves, and Ecological Reserves (i.e. "no take zones"). Each type of conservation area involves specific objectives, program elements and likely socioeconomic consequences. As an aid to community stakeholders and decision makers considering establishment of a marine conservation area, a simple method to compare and score the objectives and attributes of these four approaches is presented. A range of evaluation criteria are considered, including conservation of biodiversity and habitat, effective fishery management, overall cost-effectiveness, fairness to current users, enhancement of recreational activities, fairness to taxpayers, and conservation of genetic diversity. Environmental and socioeconomic costs and benefits of each type of conservation area are also considered. When exploring options for managing the marine environment, particular resource conservation needs must be evaluated individually on a case-by-case basis and the type of conservation area established must be tailored accordingly. However, MPAs are often more successful than other conservation areas because they offer a compromise between the needs of society and the environment, and therefore represent a viable option for ecosystem-based management.

A Policy Alternative Analysis and Simplified Scoring Method to Assess Policy Options for Marine Conservation Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharuga, S. M.; Reams, M.

2016-12-01

Traditional approaches to marine conservation and management are increasingly being found as inadequate; and, consequently, more complex ecosystem-based approaches to protecting marine ecosystems are growing in popularity. Ecosystem-based approaches, however, can be particularly challenging at a local level where resources and knowledge of specific marine conservation components may be limited. Marine conservation areas are known by a variety of names globally, but can be divided into four general types: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Marine Reserves, Fishery Reserves, and Ecological Reserves (i.e. "no take zones"). Each type of conservation area involves specific objectives, program elements and likely socioeconomic consequences. As an aid to community stakeholders and decision makers considering establishment of a marine conservation area, a simple method to compare and score the objectives and attributes of these four approaches is presented. A range of evaluation criteria are considered, including conservation of biodiversity and habitat, effective fishery management, overall cost-effectiveness, fairness to current users, enhancement of recreational activities, fairness to taxpayers, and conservation of genetic diversity. Environmental and socioeconomic costs and benefits of each type of conservation area are also considered. When exploring options for managing the marine environment, particular resource conservation needs must be evaluated individually on a case-by-case basis and the type of conservation area established must be tailored accordingly. However, MPAs are often more successful than other conservation areas because they offer a compromise between the needs of society and the environment, and therefore represent a viable option for ecosystem-based management.

Age, gender and normalization covariates for spinal cord gray matter and total cross-sectional areas at cervical and thoracic levels: A 2D phase sensitive inversion recovery imaging study.

PubMed

Papinutto, Nico; Schlaeger, Regina; Panara, Valentina; Zhu, Alyssa H; Caverzasi, Eduardo; Stern, William A; Hauser, Stephen L; Henry, Roland G

2015-01-01

The source of inter-subject variability and the influence of age and gender on morphometric characteristics of the spinal cord, such as the total cross-sectional area (TCA), the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) areas, currently remain under investigation. Understanding the effect of covariates such as age, gender, brain volumes, and skull- and vertebra-derived metrics on cervical and thoracic spinal cord TCA and GM areas in healthy subjects would be fundamental for exploring compartment specific changes in neurological diseases affecting the spinal cord. Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3T we investigated 32 healthy subjects using a 2D phase sensitive inversion recovery sequence and we measured TCA, GM and WM areas at 4 cervical and thoracic levels of the spinal cord. We assessed age and gender relationships of cord measures and explored associations between cord measures and a) brain volumes and b) skull- and vertebra-derived metrics. Age and gender had a significant effect on TCA, WM and GM areas (with women and elderly having smaller values than men and younger people respectively), but not on the GM area/TCA ratio. The total intracranial volume and C3 vertebra dimensions showed the highest correlations with cord measures. When used in multi-regression models, they reduced cord areas group variability by approximately a third. Age and gender influences on cord measures and normalization strategies here presented might be of use in the study of compartment specific changes in various neurological diseases affecting the spinal cord.

Type 2 diabetes and cardiac autonomic neuropathy screening using dynamic pupillometry

PubMed Central

Lerner, Alana G.; Bernabé-Ortiz, Antonio; Ticse, Ray; Hernandez, Arturo; Huaylinos, Yvonne; Pinto, Miguel E.; Málaga, Germán; Checkley, William; Gilman, Robert H.; Miranda, J. Jaime

2015-01-01

Aim To determine if changes in pupillary response are useful as a screening tool for diabetes and to assess whether pupillometry is associated with cardiac autonomic neuropathy. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with participants drawn from two settings: a hospital and a community site. At the community site, individuals with newly diagnosed diabetes as well as a random sample of control individuals without diabetes, confirmed by oral glucose tolerance test, were selected. Participants underwent an LED light stimulus test and eight pupillometry variables were measured. Outcomes were diabetes, defined by oral glucose tolerance test, and cardiac autonomic dysfunction, determined by a positive readout on two of four diagnostic tests: heart rate response to the Valsalva manoeuvre; orthostatic hypotension; 30:15 ratio; and expiration-to-inspiration ratio. The area under the curve, best threshold, sensitivity and specificity of each pupillometry variable was calculated. Results Data from 384 people, 213 with diabetes, were analysed. The mean (±SD) age of the people with diabetes was 58.6 (±8.2) years and in the control subjects it was 56.1 (±8.6) years. When comparing individuals with and without diabetes, the amplitude of the pupil reaction had the highest area under the curve [0.69 (sensitivity: 78%; specificity: 55%)]. Cardiac autonomic neuropathy was present in 51 of the 138 people evaluated (37.0%; 95% CI 28.8–45.1). To diagnose cardiac autonomic neuropathy, two pupillometry variables had the highest area under the curve: baseline pupil radius [area under the curve: 0.71 (sensitivity: 51%; specificity: 84%)], and amplitude of the pupil reaction [area under the curve: 070 (sensitivity: 82%; specificity: 55%)]. Conclusions Pupillometry is an inexpensive technique to screen for diabetes and cardiac autonomic neuropathy, but it does not have sufficient accuracy for clinical use as a screening tool. PMID:25761508

Type 2 diabetes and cardiac autonomic neuropathy screening using dynamic pupillometry.

PubMed

Lerner, A G; Bernabé-Ortiz, A; Ticse, R; Hernandez, A; Huaylinos, Y; Pinto, M E; Málaga, G; Checkley, W; Gilman, R H; Miranda, J J

2015-11-01

To determine if changes in pupillary response are useful as a screening tool for diabetes and to assess whether pupillometry is associated with cardiac autonomic neuropathy. We conducted a cross-sectional study with participants drawn from two settings: a hospital and a community site. At the community site, individuals with newly diagnosed diabetes as well as a random sample of control individuals without diabetes, confirmed by oral glucose tolerance test, were selected. Participants underwent an LED light stimulus test and eight pupillometry variables were measured. Outcomes were diabetes, defined by oral glucose tolerance test, and cardiac autonomic dysfunction, determined by a positive readout on two of four diagnostic tests: heart rate response to the Valsalva manoeuvre; orthostatic hypotension; 30:15 ratio; and expiration-to-inspiration ratio. The area under the curve, best threshold, sensitivity and specificity of each pupillometry variable was calculated. Data from 384 people, 213 with diabetes, were analysed. The mean (±sd) age of the people with diabetes was 58.6 (±8.2) years and in the control subjects it was 56.1 (±8.6) years. When comparing individuals with and without diabetes, the amplitude of the pupil reaction had the highest area under the curve [0.69 (sensitivity: 78%; specificity: 55%)]. Cardiac autonomic neuropathy was present in 51 of the 138 people evaluated (37.0%; 95% CI 28.8-45.1). To diagnose cardiac autonomic neuropathy, two pupillometry variables had the highest area under the curve: baseline pupil radius [area under the curve: 0.71 (sensitivity: 51%; specificity: 84%)], and amplitude of the pupil reaction [area under the curve: 0.70 (sensitivity: 82%; specificity: 55%)]. Pupillometry is an inexpensive technique to screen for diabetes and cardiac autonomic neuropathy, but it does not have sufficient accuracy for clinical use as a screening tool. © 2015 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2015 Diabetes UK.

Evaluation of brain perfusion in specific Brodmann areas in Frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer disease using automated 3-D voxel based analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valotassiou, V.; Papatriantafyllou, J.; Sifakis, N.; Karageorgiou, C.; Tsougos, I.; Tzavara, C.; Zerva, C.; Georgoulias, P.

2009-05-01

Introduction. Brain perfusion studies with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) have been applied in demented patients to provide better discrimination between frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aim. To assess the perfusion of specific Brodmann (Br) areas of the brain cortex in FTD and AD patients, using NeuroGam processing program to provide 3D voxel-by-voxel cerebral SPECT analysis. Material and methods. We studied 34 consecutive patients. We used the established criteria for the diagnosis of dementia and the specific established criteria for the diagnosis of FTD and AD. All the patients had a neuropsychological evaluation with a battery of tests including the mini-mental state examination (MMSE).Twenty-six patients (16 males, 10 females, mean age 68.76±6.51 years, education 11.81±4.25 years, MMSE 16.69±9.89) received the diagnosis of FTD and 8 patients (all females, mean age 71.25±10.48 years, education 10±4.6 years, MMSE 12.5±3.89) the diagnosis of AD. All the patients underwent a brain SPECT. We applied the NeuroGam Software for the evaluation of brain perfusion in specific Br areas in the left (L) and right (R) hemispheres. Results. Statistically significant hypoperfusion in FTD compared to AD patients, was found in the following Br areas: 11L (p<0.0001), 11R, 20L, 20R, 32L, 38L, 38R, 44L (p<0.001), 32R, 36L, 36R, 45L, 45R, 47R (p<0.01), 9L, 21L, 39R, 44R, 46R, 47L (p<0.05). On the contrary, AD patients presented significant (p<0.05) hypoperfusion in 7R and 39R Br areas. Conclusion. NeuroGam processing program of brain perfusion SPECT could result in enhanced accuracy for the differential diagnosis between AD and FTD patients.

Identification of Residues Involved in Substrate Specificity and Cytotoxicity of Two Closely Related Cutinases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Dedieu, Luc; Serveau-Avesque, Carole; Canaan, Stéphane

2013-01-01

The enzymes belonging to the cutinase family are serine enzymes active on a large panel of substrates such as cutin, triacylglycerols, and phospholipids. In the M. tuberculosis H37Rv genome, seven genes coding for cutinase-like proteins have been identified with strong immunogenic properties suggesting a potential role as vaccine candidates. Two of these enzymes which are secreted and highly homologous, possess distinct substrates specificities. Cfp21 is a lipase and Cut4 is a phospholipase A2, which has cytotoxic effects on macrophages. Structural overlay of their three-dimensional models allowed us to identify three areas involved in the substrate binding process and to shed light on this substrate specificity. By site-directed mutagenesis, residues present in these Cfp21 areas were replaced by residues occurring in Cut4 at the same location. Three mutants acquired phospholipase A1 and A2 activities and the lipase activities of two mutants were 3 and 15 fold greater than the Cfp21 wild type enzyme. In addition, contrary to mutants with enhanced lipase activity, mutants that acquired phospholipase B activities induced macrophage lysis as efficiently as Cut4 which emphasizes the relationship between apparent phospholipase A2 activity and cytotoxicity. Modification of areas involved in substrate specificity, generate recombinant enzymes with higher activity, which may be more immunogenic than the wild type enzymes and could therefore constitute promising candidates for antituberculous vaccine production. PMID:23843969

Identification of residues involved in substrate specificity and cytotoxicity of two closely related cutinases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PubMed

Dedieu, Luc; Serveau-Avesque, Carole; Canaan, Stéphane

2013-01-01

The enzymes belonging to the cutinase family are serine enzymes active on a large panel of substrates such as cutin, triacylglycerols, and phospholipids. In the M. tuberculosis H37Rv genome, seven genes coding for cutinase-like proteins have been identified with strong immunogenic properties suggesting a potential role as vaccine candidates. Two of these enzymes which are secreted and highly homologous, possess distinct substrates specificities. Cfp21 is a lipase and Cut4 is a phospholipase A2, which has cytotoxic effects on macrophages. Structural overlay of their three-dimensional models allowed us to identify three areas involved in the substrate binding process and to shed light on this substrate specificity. By site-directed mutagenesis, residues present in these Cfp21 areas were replaced by residues occurring in Cut4 at the same location. Three mutants acquired phospholipase A1 and A2 activities and the lipase activities of two mutants were 3 and 15 fold greater than the Cfp21 wild type enzyme. In addition, contrary to mutants with enhanced lipase activity, mutants that acquired phospholipase B activities induced macrophage lysis as efficiently as Cut4 which emphasizes the relationship between apparent phospholipase A2 activity and cytotoxicity. Modification of areas involved in substrate specificity, generate recombinant enzymes with higher activity, which may be more immunogenic than the wild type enzymes and could therefore constitute promising candidates for antituberculous vaccine production.

Carbon aerogel-based supercapacitors modified by hummers oxidation method.

PubMed

Xu, Yuelong; Ren, Bin; Wang, Shasha; Zhang, Lihui; Liu, Zhenfa

2018-05-14

Carbon aerogels of an inter-connected three-dimensional (3D) structure are a potential carbon material for supercapacitors. We report a new oxidation modification method to prepare a series of modified carbon aerogels (OM-CA) by Hummers oxidation method. Oxidation-modified carbon aerogels (OM-CA) are obtained from carbon aerogel powders oxidized by Hummers method. Sulfuric acid stoichiometry is studied in order to investigate the effect of the surface oxygen group on surface area and electrochemical performance. Additionally, heteroatoms are doped into carbon aerogels in the oxidation process. The effect of heteroatom doping on electrochemical performance as a supercapacitor electrode material is investigated. When the amount of sulfuric acid is 40 wt%, the dopping manganese content is 0.9 mol%, the specific surface area of OM-CA is 450 m 2 /g, and its specific capacitance is 151 F g -1 at 0.5 A g -1 , which is achieved by heteroatom doping and texture properties. In addition, OM-CA composite supercapacitors exhibit a stable cycle life at a current density of 0.5 A g -1 and retain 98.0% of initial capacitance over 500 cycles, and OM-CA-40% still presents a higher capacity, up to 148 F g -1 at 0.5 A g -1 . The high specific surface area and specific capacitance suggest the porous carbon material has potential applications in supercapacitors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NASA Lewis Research Center Workshop on Forced Response in Turbomachinery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stefko, George L. (Compiler); Murthy, Durbha V. (Compiler); Morel, Michael (Compiler); Hoyniak, Dan (Compiler); Gauntner, Jim W. (Compiler)

1994-01-01

A summary of the NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) Workshop on Forced Response in Turbomachinery in August, 1993 is presented. It was sponsored by the following NASA organizations: Structures, Space Propulsion Technology, and Propulsion Systems Divisions of NASA LeRC and the Aeronautics and Advanced Concepts & Technology Offices of NASA Headquarters. In addition, the workshop was held in conjunction with the GUIde (Government/Industry/Universities) Consortium on Forced Response. The workshop was specifically designed to receive suggestions and comments from industry on current research at NASA LeRC in the area of forced vibratory response of turbomachinery blades which includes both computational and experimental approaches. There were eight presentations and a code demonstration. Major areas of research included aeroelastic response, steady and unsteady fluid dynamics, mistuning, and corresponding experimental work.

Galactose-α-1,3-galactose and delayed anaphylaxis, angioedema, and urticaria in children.

PubMed

Kennedy, Joshua L; Stallings, Amy P; Platts-Mills, Thomas A E; Oliveira, Walter M; Workman, Lisa; James, Haley R; Tripathi, Anubha; Lane, Charles J; Matos, Luis; Heymann, Peter W; Commins, Scott P

2013-05-01

Despite a thorough history and comprehensive testing, many children who present with recurrent symptoms consistent with allergic reactions elude diagnosis. Recent research has identified a novel cause for "idiopathic" allergic reactions; immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody specific for the carbohydrate galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-Gal) has been associated with delayed urticaria and anaphylaxis that occurs 3 to 6 hours after eating beef, pork, or lamb. We sought to determine whether IgE antibody to α-Gal was present in sera of pediatric patients who reported idiopathic anaphylaxis or urticaria. Patients aged 4 to 17 were enrolled in an institutional review board-approved protocol at the University of Virginia and private practice allergy offices in Lynchburg, VA. Sera was obtained and analyzed by ImmunoCAP for total IgE and specific IgE to α-Gal, beef, pork, cat epithelium and dander, Fel d 1, dog dander, and milk. Forty-five pediatric patients were identified who had both clinical histories supporting delayed anaphylaxis or urticaria to mammalian meat and IgE antibody specific for α-Gal. In addition, most of these cases had a history of tick bites within the past year, which itched and persisted. A novel form of anaphylaxis and urticaria that occurs 3 to 6 hours after eating mammalian meat is not uncommon among children in our area. Identification of these cases may not be straightforward and diagnosis is best confirmed by specific testing, which should certainly be considered for children living in the area where the Lone Star tick is common.

Cutaneous manifestations of lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Parodi, A; Cozzani, E

2014-10-01

Cutaneous involvement in case of lupus erythematosus (LE) is very frequent and can present both specific or non-specific manifestations. LE specific lesions can be classified in acute, subacute and chronic cutaneous LE lesions. All of them can be localized and generalized. The LE non specific lesions are not exclusive to LE disease but are often seen in patients with active systemic LE. All the cutaneous lesions are often induced or aggravated by ultraviolet light, in fact they are usually localized in sun-exposed areas. Acute cutaneous LE is associated with systemic disease, subacute cutaneous LE has been considered a subset of its own since 1979 when it was first described, chronic cutaneous LE is the most common subtype of LE. Although less frequently also the chronic cutaneous lesions can be an aspect of systemic LE (25%).

The worldwide market for photovoltaics in the rural sector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brainard, W. A.

1982-01-01

The worldwide market for stand-alone photovoltaic power systems in three specific segments of the rural sector were determined. The worldwide market for photovoltaic power systems for village power, cottage industry, and agricultural applications were addressed. The objectives of these studies were to: The market potential for small stand-alone photovoltaic power system in specific application areas was assessed. Technical, social and institutional barriers to PV utilization were identified. Funding sources available to potential users was also identified and marketing strategies appropriate for each sector were recommended to PV product manufacturers. The studies were prepared on the basis of data gathered from domestic sources and from field trips to representative countries. Both country-specific and sector-specific results are discussed, and broadly applicable barriers pertinent to international marketing of PV products are presented.

Tools for Embedded Computing Systems Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

A workshop was held to assess the state of tools for embedded systems software and to determine directions for tool development. A synopsis of the talk and the key figures of each workshop presentation, together with chairmen summaries, are presented. The presentations covered four major areas: (1) tools and the software environment (development and testing); (2) tools and software requirements, design, and specification; (3) tools and language processors; and (4) tools and verification and validation (analysis and testing). The utility and contribution of existing tools and research results for the development and testing of embedded computing systems software are described and assessed.

Report from the second cytomegalovirus and immunosenescence workshop

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The Second International Workshop on CMV & Immunosenescence was held in Cambridge, UK, 2-4th December, 2010. The presentations covered four separate sessions: cytomegalovirus and T cell phenotypes; T cell memory frequency, inflation and immunosenescence; cytomegalovirus in aging, mortality and disease states; and the immunobiology of cytomegalovirus-specific T cells and effects of the virus on vaccination. This commentary summarizes the major findings of these presentations and references subsequently published work from the presenter laboratory where appropriate and draws together major themes that were subsequently discussed along with new areas of interest that were highlighted by this discussion. PMID:22035114

Area-specific temporal control of corticospinal motor neuron differentiation by COUP-TFI

PubMed Central

Tomassy, Giulio Srubek; De Leonibus, Elvira; Jabaudon, Denis; Lodato, Simona; Alfano, Christian; Mele, Andrea; Macklis, Jeffrey D.; Studer, Michèle

2010-01-01

Transcription factors with gradients of expression in neocortical progenitors give rise to distinct motor and sensory cortical areas by controlling the area-specific differentiation of distinct neuronal subtypes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this area-restricted control are still unclear. Here, we show that COUP-TFI controls the timing of birth and specification of corticospinal motor neurons (CSMN) in somatosensory cortex via repression of a CSMN differentiation program. Loss of COUP-TFI function causes an area-specific premature generation of neurons with cardinal features of CSMN, which project to subcerebral structures, including the spinal cord. Concurrently, genuine CSMN differentiate imprecisely and do not project beyond the pons, together resulting in impaired skilled motor function in adult mice with cortical COUP-TFI loss-of-function. Our findings indicate that COUP-TFI exerts critical areal and temporal control over the precise differentiation of CSMN during corticogenesis, thereby enabling the area-specific functional features of motor and sensory areas to arise. PMID:20133588

Higher-order Brain Areas Associated with Real-time Functional MRI Neurofeedback Training of the Somato-motor Cortex.

PubMed

Auer, Tibor; Dewiputri, Wan Ilma; Frahm, Jens; Schweizer, Renate

2018-05-15

Neurofeedback (NFB) allows subjects to learn self-regulation of neuronal brain activation based on information about the ongoing activation. The implementation of real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) for NFB training now facilitates the investigation into underlying processes. Our study involved 16 control and 16 training right-handed subjects, the latter performing an extensive rt-fMRI NFB training using motor imagery. A previous analysis focused on the targeted primary somato-motor cortex (SMC). The present study extends the analysis to the supplementary motor area (SMA), the next higher brain area within the hierarchy of the motor system. We also examined transfer-related functional connectivity using a whole-volume psycho-physiological interaction (PPI) analysis to reveal brain areas associated with learning. The ROI analysis of the pre- and post-training fMRI data for motor imagery without NFB (transfer) resulted in a significant training-specific increase in the SMA. It could also be shown that the contralateral SMA exhibited a larger increase than the ipsilateral SMA in the training and the transfer runs, and that the right-hand training elicited a larger increase in the transfer runs than the left-hand training. The PPI analysis revealed a training-specific increase in transfer-related functional connectivity between the left SMA and frontal areas as well as the anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) for right- and left-hand trainings. Moreover, the transfer success was related with training-specific increase in functional connectivity between the left SMA and the target area SMC. Our study demonstrates that NFB training increases functional connectivity with non-targeted brain areas. These are associated with the training strategy (i.e., SMA) as well as with learning the NFB skill (i.e., aMCC and frontal areas). This detailed description of both the system to be trained and the areas involved in learning can provide valuable information for further optimization of NFB trainings. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

National Knowledge Commission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitroda, Sam

2007-04-01

India's National Knowledge Commission (NKC) established by the prime minister is focused on building institutions and infrastructure in Education, Science and Technology, Innovation etc. to meet the challenges of the knowledge economy in the 21st century and increase India's competitive advantage in the global market. India today stands poised to reap the benefits of a rapidly growing economy and a major demographic advantage, with 550 million young people below the age of 25 years, the largest in the world. The NKC is focused on five critical areas of knowledge related to access, concepts, creation, applications and services. This includes a variety of subject areas such as language, translations, libraries, networks, portals, affirmative action, distance learning, intellectual property, Entrepreneurship, application in Agriculture, health, small and medium scale industries, e-governance etc. One of the keys to this effort is to build a national broadband gigabit of networks of 500 nodes to connect universities, Libraries, Laboratories, Hospitals, Agriculture institutions etc. to share resources and collaborate on multidisciplinary activities. This presentation will introduce the NKC, discuss methodology, subject areas, specific recommendation and outline a plan to build knowledge networks and specifics on network architecture, applications, and utilities.

Tsunami evacuation modelling as a tool for risk reduction: application to the coastal area of El Salvador

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Riancho, P.; Aguirre-Ayerbe, I.; Aniel-Quiroga, I.; Abad, S.; González, M.; Larreynaga, J.; Gavidia, F.; Gutiérrez, O. Q.; Álvarez-Gómez, J. A.; Medina, R.

2013-12-01

Advances in the understanding and prediction of tsunami impacts allow the development of risk reduction strategies for tsunami-prone areas. This paper presents an integral framework for the formulation of tsunami evacuation plans based on tsunami vulnerability assessment and evacuation modelling. This framework considers (i) the hazard aspects (tsunami flooding characteristics and arrival time), (ii) the characteristics of the exposed area (people, shelters and road network), (iii) the current tsunami warning procedures and timing, (iv) the time needed to evacuate the population, and (v) the identification of measures to improve the evacuation process. The proposed methodological framework aims to bridge between risk assessment and risk management in terms of tsunami evacuation, as it allows for an estimation of the degree of evacuation success of specific management options, as well as for the classification and prioritization of the gathered information, in order to formulate an optimal evacuation plan. The framework has been applied to the El Salvador case study, demonstrating its applicability to site-specific response times and population characteristics.

Interaction between sapwood and foliage area in alpine ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis) trees of different heights.

PubMed

Mokany, Karel; McMurtrie, Ross E; Atwell, Brian J; Keith, Heather

2003-10-01

In native stands of Eucalyptus delegatensis R. T. Baker, sapwood area (As) to foliage area (Af) ratios (As:Af) decreased as tree height increased, contradicting the common interpretation of the Pipe Model Theory as well as the generally observed trend of increasing As:Af ratios with tree height. To clarify this relationship, we estimated sapwood hydraulic conductivity theoretically based on measurements of sapwood vessel diameters and Poiseuille's law for fluid flow through pipes. Despite the observed decrease in As:Af ratios with tree height, leaf specific conductivity increased with total tree height, largely as a result of an increase in the specific conductivity of sapwood. This observation supports the proposition that the stem's ability to supply foliage with water must increase as trees grow taller, to compensate for the increased hydraulic path length. The results presented here highlight the importance of measuring sapwood hydraulic conductivity in analyses of sapwood-foliage interactions, and suggest that measurements of sapwood hydraulic conductivity may help to resolve conflicting observations of how As:Af ratios change as trees grow taller.

Role of medial premotor areas in action language processing in relation to motor skills.

PubMed

Courson, Melody; Macoir, Joël; Tremblay, Pascale

2017-10-01

The literature reports that the supplementary motor area (SMA) and pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) are involved in motor planning and execution, and in motor-related cognitive functions such as motor imagery. However, their specific role in action language processing remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the impact of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over SMA and pre-SMA during an action semantic analogy task (SAT) in relation with fine motor skills (i.e., manual dexterity) and motor imagery abilities in healthy non-expert adults. The impact of rTMS over SMA (but not pre-SMA) on reaction times (RT) during SAT was correlated with manual dexterity. Specifically, results show that rTMS over SMA modulated RT for those with lower dexterity skills. Our results therefore demonstrate a causal involvement of SMA in action language processing, as well as the existence of inter-individual differences in this involvement. We discuss these findings in light of neurolinguistic theories of language processing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Competencies in Training at the Graduate Student Level: Example of a Pediatric Psychology Seminar Course

PubMed Central

Ievers-Landis, Carolyn E.; Hazen, Rebecca A.; Fehr, Karla K.

2015-01-01

The recently developed competencies in pediatric psychology from the Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP) Task Force on Competencies and Best Training Practices in Pediatric Psychology provide a benchmark to evaluate training program practices and student progress toward training in level-specific competency goals. Graduate-level training presents a unique challenge for addressing the breadth of competencies required in pediatric psychology while maintaining development of broader clinical psychology training goals. We describe a recurring graduate-level pediatric psychology seminar course that addresses training in a number of the competency cluster areas. The structure of the seminar, examples of classroom topics that correspond with competency cluster areas as well as benchmarks used to evaluate each student’s development in the competency area are provided. Specific challenges in developing and maintaining the seminar in this format are identified, and possible solutions are offered. This training format could serve as a model for established pediatric psychology programs to expand their didactic training goals or for programs without formal pediatric psychology training to address competencies outside of clinical placements. PMID:26900536

Designing area optimized application-specific network-on-chip architectures while providing hard QoS guarantees.

PubMed

Khawaja, Sajid Gul; Mushtaq, Mian Hamza; Khan, Shoab A; Akram, M Usman; Jamal, Habib Ullah

2015-01-01

With the increase of transistors' density, popularity of System on Chip (SoC) has increased exponentially. As a communication module for SoC, Network on Chip (NoC) framework has been adapted as its backbone. In this paper, we propose a methodology for designing area-optimized application specific NoC while providing hard Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees for real time flows. The novelty of the proposed system lies in derivation of a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model which is then used to generate a resource optimal Network on Chip (NoC) topology and architecture while considering traffic and QoS requirements. We also present the micro-architectural design features used for enabling traffic and latency guarantees and discuss how the solution adapts for dynamic variations in the application traffic. The paper highlights the effectiveness of proposed method by generating resource efficient NoC solutions for both industrial and benchmark applications. The area-optimized results are generated in few seconds by proposed technique, without resorting to heuristics, even for an application with 48 traffic flows.

Designing Area Optimized Application-Specific Network-On-Chip Architectures while Providing Hard QoS Guarantees

PubMed Central

Khawaja, Sajid Gul; Mushtaq, Mian Hamza; Khan, Shoab A.; Akram, M. Usman; Jamal, Habib ullah

2015-01-01

With the increase of transistors' density, popularity of System on Chip (SoC) has increased exponentially. As a communication module for SoC, Network on Chip (NoC) framework has been adapted as its backbone. In this paper, we propose a methodology for designing area-optimized application specific NoC while providing hard Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees for real time flows. The novelty of the proposed system lies in derivation of a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model which is then used to generate a resource optimal Network on Chip (NoC) topology and architecture while considering traffic and QoS requirements. We also present the micro-architectural design features used for enabling traffic and latency guarantees and discuss how the solution adapts for dynamic variations in the application traffic. The paper highlights the effectiveness of proposed method by generating resource efficient NoC solutions for both industrial and benchmark applications. The area-optimized results are generated in few seconds by proposed technique, without resorting to heuristics, even for an application with 48 traffic flows. PMID:25898016

Political science, public administration, and natural hazards: contributions and connections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindquist, E.

2009-04-01

The connection between the natural and social sciences has become stronger, and has increasingly been recognized as a vital component in the area of natural hazards research. Moving applied natural hazards research into the public policy or administration realm is not often easy, or effective. An improved understanding of the connection between the natural and social sciences can assist in this process and result in better public policy, acceptance from the public for these policies, and a safer and better educated public. This paper will present initial findings from a larger data set on natural hazards and social science research. Specifically we will review the current contribution of the formal academic disciplines of political science and public administration within recent natural hazards-related scholarship. The general characteristics of the contributions (e.g. coauthored, interdisciplinary, etc.), specific theories and methods being applied, and the types of natural hazards being scrutinized by these related fields will be assessed. In conclusion we will discuss future contributions and areas for potential collaboration between the natural and social sciences in the area of natural hazards research.

Measuring the specific surface area of natural and manmade glasses: effects of formation process, morphology, and particle size

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Papelis, Charalambos; Um, Wooyong; Russel, Charles E.

2003-03-28

The specific surface area of natural and manmade solid materials is a key parameter controlling important interfacial processes in natural environments and engineered systems, including dissolution reactions and sorption processes at solid-fluid interfaces. To improve our ability to quantify the release of trace elements trapped in natural glasses, the release of hazardous compounds trapped in manmade glasses, or the release of radionuclides from nuclear melt glass, we measured the specific surface area of natural and manmade glasses as a function of particle size, morphology, and composition. Volcanic ash, volcanic tuff, tektites, obsidian glass, and in situ vitrified rock were analyzed.more » Specific surface area estimates were obtained using krypton as gas adsorbent and the BET model. The range of surface areas measured exceeded three orders of magnitude. A tektite sample had the highest surface area (1.65 m2/g), while one of the samples of in situ vitrified rock had the lowest surf ace area (0.0016 m2/g). The specific surface area of the samples was a function of particle size, decreasing with increasing particle size. Different types of materials, however, showed variable dependence on particle size, and could be assigned to one of three distinct groups: (1) samples with low surface area dependence on particle size and surface areas approximately two orders of magnitude higher than the surface area of smooth spheres of equivalent size. The specific surface area of these materials was attributed mostly to internal porosity and surface roughness. (2) samples that showed a trend of decreasing surface area dependence on particle size as the particle size increased. The minimum specific surface area of these materials was between 0.1 and 0.01 m2/g and was also attributed to internal porosity and surface roughness. (3) samples whose surface area showed a monotonic decrease with increasing particle size, never reaching an ultimate surface area limit within the particle size range examined. The surface area results were consistent with particle morphology, examined by scanning electron microscopy, and have significant implications for the release of radionuclides and toxic metals in the environment.« less

An Efficient Hardware Circuit for Spike Sorting Based on Competitive Learning Networks.

PubMed

Chen, Huan-Yuan; Chen, Chih-Chang; Hwang, Wen-Jyi

2017-09-28

This study aims to present an effective VLSI circuit for multi-channel spike sorting. The circuit supports the spike detection, feature extraction and classification operations. The detection circuit is implemented in accordance with the nonlinear energy operator algorithm. Both the peak detection and area computation operations are adopted for the realization of the hardware architecture for feature extraction. The resulting feature vectors are classified by a circuit for competitive learning (CL) neural networks. The CL circuit supports both online training and classification. In the proposed architecture, all the channels share the same detection, feature extraction, learning and classification circuits for a low area cost hardware implementation. The clock-gating technique is also employed for reducing the power dissipation. To evaluate the performance of the architecture, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) implementation is presented. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed circuit exhibits the advantages of a low chip area, a low power dissipation and a high classification success rate for spike sorting.

An Efficient Hardware Circuit for Spike Sorting Based on Competitive Learning Networks

PubMed Central

Chen, Huan-Yuan; Chen, Chih-Chang

2017-01-01

This study aims to present an effective VLSI circuit for multi-channel spike sorting. The circuit supports the spike detection, feature extraction and classification operations. The detection circuit is implemented in accordance with the nonlinear energy operator algorithm. Both the peak detection and area computation operations are adopted for the realization of the hardware architecture for feature extraction. The resulting feature vectors are classified by a circuit for competitive learning (CL) neural networks. The CL circuit supports both online training and classification. In the proposed architecture, all the channels share the same detection, feature extraction, learning and classification circuits for a low area cost hardware implementation. The clock-gating technique is also employed for reducing the power dissipation. To evaluate the performance of the architecture, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) implementation is presented. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed circuit exhibits the advantages of a low chip area, a low power dissipation and a high classification success rate for spike sorting. PMID:28956859

Functionalization and Characterization of Magnetic Nanoparticles for the Detection of Ferritin Accumulation in Alzheimer's Disease.

PubMed

Fernández, Tamara; Martínez-Serrano, Alberto; Cussó, Lorena; Desco, Manuel; Ramos-Gómez, Milagros

2018-05-16

Early diagnosis in Alzheimer's disease (AD), prior to the appearance of marked clinical symptoms, is critical to prevent irreversible neuronal damage and neural malfunction that lead to dementia and death. Therefore, there is an urgent need to generate new contrast agents which reveal by a noninvasive method the presence of some of the pathological signs of AD. In the present study, we demonstrate for the first time a new nanoconjugate composed of magnetic nanoparticles bound to an antiferritin antibody, which has been developed based on the existence of iron deposits and high levels of the ferritin protein present in areas with a high accumulation of amyloid plaques (particularly the subiculum in the hippocampal area) in the brain of a transgenic mouse model with five familial AD mutations. Both in vitro and after intravenous injection, functionalized magnetic nanoparticles were able to recognize and bind specifically to the ferritin protein accumulated in the subiculum area of the AD transgenic mice.

Weather monitoring and forecasting over eastern Attica (Greece) in the frame of FLIRE project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotroni, Vassiliki; Lagouvardos, Konstantinos; Chrysoulakis, Nektarios; Makropoulos, Christtos; Mimikou, Maria; Papathanasiou, Chrysoula; Poursanidis, Dimitris

2015-04-01

In the frame of FLIRE project a Decision Support System has been built with the aim to support decision making of Civil Protection Agencies and local stakeholders in the area of east Attica (Greece), in the cases of forest fires and floods. In this presentation we focus on a specific action that focuses on the provision of high resolution short-term weather forecasting data as well as of dense meteorological observations over the study area. Both weather forecasts and observations serve as an input in the Weather Information Management Tool (WIMT) of the Decision Support System. We focus on: (a) the description of the adopted strategy for setting-up the operational weather forecasting chain that provides the weather forecasts for the FLIRE project needs, (b) the presentation of the surface network station that provides real-time weather monitoring of the study area and (c) the strategy adopted for issuing smart alerts for thunderstorm forecasting based of real-time lightning observations as well as satellite observations.

Monitoring and modelling for dry-stone walls terracement maintenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preti, Federico; Errico, Alessandro; Giambastiani, Yamuna; Guastini, Enrico; Penna, Daniele

2017-04-01

An analysis of dry-stone walls stability in agricultural areas based on innovative monitoring and modeling is here presented The field test took place in Lamole, a terraced rural area located in the province of Florence, Tuscany, central Italy, where wine production is the most important agricultural activity business. Results show a good capability of the model to predict the time-space distribution and the intensity of stresses on the instrumented dry-stone wall and to describe the bulging of the ancient ones. We obtained significant information on how the terrace failure in Lamole resulted mainly related to the water concentration pathways at specific portions of the walls. An accurate drainage of the terraced slopes, even by means of simple ditches, could reduce the concentration factor at the critical parts of terraces strongly reducing the water pressures on the walls. The analysis of the effects caused by high return time events has been carried out by means of artificially reproduced severe rainfalls on the presented experimental area.

First results from experiments performed with the ESA Anthrorack during the D-2 Spacelab mission.

PubMed

Kuipers, A

1996-06-01

In 1993 four astronauts performed physiological experiments on the payload "Anthrorack" during the second German Spacelab mission D-2. The Anthrorack set-up is a Spacelab double rack developed under the management of the European Space Agency. It consists of an ECHO machine, a respiratory monitoring system (gas analyzer with flow meter), a blood centrifuge, an ergometer, a finger blood pressure device, ECG, body impedance measurement device and a respiratory inductance plethysmograph. Experiment-specific equipment was used as well. Nineteen investigators performed experiments in the cardiovascular, pulmonary, fluid-renal and nutritional physiology area. Results on central venous pressure, ocular pressure, vascular resistance, cardiac output, tissue thickness and orthostatic intolerance are presented in the cardiovascular area. In the pulmonary area first results are mentioned on O2 transport perfusion and ventilation distribution and breathing pattern. From the fluid-renal experiments, data from diuresis, sodium excretion and hormonal determinations are given. Finally results from glucose metabolism and nitrogen turnover experiments are presented.

First results from experiments performed with the ESA Anthrorack during the D-2 spacelab mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuipers, A.

1996-06-01

In 1993 four astronauts performed physiological experiments on the payload "Anthrorack" during the second German Spacelab mission D-2. The Anthrorack set-up is a Spacelab double rack developed under the management of the European Space Agency. It consists of an ECHO machine, a respiratory monitoring system (gas analyzer with flow meter), a blood centrifuge, an ergometer, a finger blood pressure device, ECG, body impedance measurement device and a respiratory inductance plethysmograph. Experiment-specific equipment was used as well. Nineteen investigators performed experiments in the cardiovascular, pulmonary, fluid-renal and nutritional physiology area. Results on central venous pressure, ocular pressure, vascular resistance, cardiac output, tissue thickness and orthostatic intolerance are presented in the cardiovascular area. In the pulmonary area first results are mentioned on O 2 transport perfusion and ventilation distribution and breathing pattern. From the fluid-renal experiments, data from diuresis, sodium excretion and hormonal determinations are given. Finally results from glucose metabolism and nitrogen turnover experiments are presented.

Phonological processing of ignored distractor pictures, an fMRI investigation.

PubMed

Bles, Mart; Jansma, Bernadette M

2008-02-11

Neuroimaging studies of attention often focus on interactions between stimulus representations and top-down selection mechanisms in visual cortex. Less is known about the neural representation of distractor stimuli beyond visual areas, and the interactions between stimuli in linguistic processing areas. In the present study, participants viewed simultaneously presented line drawings at peripheral locations, while in the MRI scanner. The names of the objects depicted in these pictures were either phonologically related (i.e. shared the same consonant-vowel onset construction), or unrelated. Attention was directed either at the linguistic properties of one of these pictures, or at the fixation point (i.e. away from the pictures). Phonological representations of unattended pictures could be detected in the posterior superior temporal gyrus, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the insula. Under some circumstances, the name of ignored distractor pictures is retrieved by linguistic areas. This implies that selective attention to a specific location does not completely filter out the representations of distractor stimuli at early perceptual stages.

Piloted simulator study of allowable time delays in large-airplane response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grantham, William D.; Bert T.?aetingas, Stephen A.dings with ran; Bert T.?aetingas, Stephen A.dings with ran

1987-01-01

A piloted simulation was performed to determine the permissible time delay and phase shift in the flight control system of a specific large transport-type airplane. The study was conducted with a six degree of freedom ground-based simulator and a math model similar to an advanced wide-body jet transport. Time delays in discrete and lagged form were incorporated into the longitudinal, lateral, and directional control systems of the airplane. Three experienced pilots flew simulated approaches and landings with random localizer and glide slope offsets during instrument tracking as their principal evaluation task. Results of the present study suggest a level 1 (satisfactory) handling qualities limit for the effective time delay of 0.15 sec in both the pitch and roll axes, as opposed to a 0.10-sec limit of the present specification (MIL-F-8785C) for both axes. Also, the present results suggest a level 2 (acceptable but unsatisfactory) handling qualities limit for an effective time delay of 0.82 sec and 0.57 sec for the pitch and roll axes, respectively, as opposed to 0.20 sec of the present specifications for both axes. In the area of phase shift between cockpit input and control surface deflection,the results of this study, flown in turbulent air, suggest less severe phase shift limitations for the approach and landing task-approximately 50 deg. in pitch and 40 deg. in roll - as opposed to 15 deg. of the present specifications for both axes.

Data mining methods in the prediction of Dementia: A real-data comparison of the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of linear discriminant analysis, logistic regression, neural networks, support vector machines, classification trees and random forests

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Dementia and cognitive impairment associated with aging are a major medical and social concern. Neuropsychological testing is a key element in the diagnostic procedures of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), but has presently a limited value in the prediction of progression to dementia. We advance the hypothesis that newer statistical classification methods derived from data mining and machine learning methods like Neural Networks, Support Vector Machines and Random Forests can improve accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of predictions obtained from neuropsychological testing. Seven non parametric classifiers derived from data mining methods (Multilayer Perceptrons Neural Networks, Radial Basis Function Neural Networks, Support Vector Machines, CART, CHAID and QUEST Classification Trees and Random Forests) were compared to three traditional classifiers (Linear Discriminant Analysis, Quadratic Discriminant Analysis and Logistic Regression) in terms of overall classification accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, Area under the ROC curve and Press'Q. Model predictors were 10 neuropsychological tests currently used in the diagnosis of dementia. Statistical distributions of classification parameters obtained from a 5-fold cross-validation were compared using the Friedman's nonparametric test. Results Press' Q test showed that all classifiers performed better than chance alone (p < 0.05). Support Vector Machines showed the larger overall classification accuracy (Median (Me) = 0.76) an area under the ROC (Me = 0.90). However this method showed high specificity (Me = 1.0) but low sensitivity (Me = 0.3). Random Forest ranked second in overall accuracy (Me = 0.73) with high area under the ROC (Me = 0.73) specificity (Me = 0.73) and sensitivity (Me = 0.64). Linear Discriminant Analysis also showed acceptable overall accuracy (Me = 0.66), with acceptable area under the ROC (Me = 0.72) specificity (Me = 0.66) and sensitivity (Me = 0.64). The remaining classifiers showed overall classification accuracy above a median value of 0.63, but for most sensitivity was around or even lower than a median value of 0.5. Conclusions When taking into account sensitivity, specificity and overall classification accuracy Random Forests and Linear Discriminant analysis rank first among all the classifiers tested in prediction of dementia using several neuropsychological tests. These methods may be used to improve accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of Dementia predictions from neuropsychological testing. PMID:21849043

Implementation of two new resource management information systems in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kessell, Stephen R.; Good, Roger B.; Hopkins, Angas J. M.

1984-05-01

This paper describes the development and implementation of PREPLAN, A Pristine Environment Planning Language and Simulator, for two conservation areas in Australia, Kosciusko National Park (New South Wales) and Tutanning Nature Reserve (Western Australia). PREPLAN was derived from the North American gradient modeling systems and the Forest Planning Language and Simulator (FORPLAN), but includes unique characteristics not previously available. PREPLAN includes an integrated resource management data base, modules for predicting site-specific vegetation, fuels, animals, fire behavior, and fire effects, and an English language instruction set. PREPLAN was developed specifically to provide available information and understanding of ecosystems to managers in a readily accessible and usable form, and to provide the motivation to conduct additional required research projects. An evaluation of the system's advantages and limitations is presented, and the way the utilization of such systems is improving natural area decision making throughout Australia is discussed.

Porous carbon derived from aniline-modified fungus for symmetrical supercapacitor electrodes

DOE PAGES

Wang, Keliang; Xu, Ming; Wang, Xiaomin; ...

2017-01-23

N incorporated carbon materials are proven to be efficient EDLCs electrode materials. In this work, aniline modified fungus served as a raw material, and N-doped porous activated carbon is prepared via an efficient KOH activation method. A porous network with a high specific surface area of 2339 m 2g -1 is displayed by the prepared carbon material, resulting in a high accessible surface area and low ion diffusion resistance which is desirable for EDLC electrode materials. In assembled EDLCs, the N–AC based electrode exhibits a specific capacitance of 218 F g -1 at a current density of 0.1 A gmore » -1. Besides, excellent stability is displayed after 5000 continuous cycles at different current densities ranging from 0.1 to 10 A g -1. Thus, the present work reveals a promising candidate for electrode materials of EDLCs.« less

Technology Area Roadmap for In Space Propulsion Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Les; Meyer, Mike; Coote, David; Goebel, Dan; Palaszewski, Bryan; White, Sonny

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the technology area (TA) roadmap to develop propulsion technologies that will be used to enable further exploration of the solar system, and beyond. It is hoped that development of the technologies within this TA will result in technical solutions that will improve thrust levels, specific impulse, power, specific mass, volume, system mass, system complexity, operational complexity, commonality with other spacecraft systems, manufacturability and durability. Some of the propulsion technologies that are reviewed include: chemical and non-chemical propulsion, and advanced propulsion (i.e., those with a Technology Readiness level of less than 3). Examples of these advanced technologies include: Beamed Energy, Electric Sail, Fusion, High Energy Density Materials, Antimatter, Advanced Fission and Breakthrough propulsion technologies. Timeframes for development of some of these propulsion technologies are reviewed, and top technical challenges are reviewed. This roadmap describes a portfolio of in-space propulsion technologies that can meet future space science and exploration needs.

Separating pitch chroma and pitch height in the human brain

PubMed Central

Warren, J. D.; Uppenkamp, S.; Patterson, R. D.; Griffiths, T. D.

2003-01-01

Musicians recognize pitch as having two dimensions. On the keyboard, these are illustrated by the octave and the cycle of notes within the octave. In perception, these dimensions are referred to as pitch height and pitch chroma, respectively. Pitch chroma provides a basis for presenting acoustic patterns (melodies) that do not depend on the particular sound source. In contrast, pitch height provides a basis for segregation of notes into streams to separate sound sources. This paper reports a functional magnetic resonance experiment designed to search for distinct mappings of these two types of pitch change in the human brain. The results show that chroma change is specifically represented anterior to primary auditory cortex, whereas height change is specifically represented posterior to primary auditory cortex. We propose that tracking of acoustic information streams occurs in anterior auditory areas, whereas the segregation of sound objects (a crucial aspect of auditory scene analysis) depends on posterior areas. PMID:12909719

Separating pitch chroma and pitch height in the human brain.

PubMed

Warren, J D; Uppenkamp, S; Patterson, R D; Griffiths, T D

2003-08-19

Musicians recognize pitch as having two dimensions. On the keyboard, these are illustrated by the octave and the cycle of notes within the octave. In perception, these dimensions are referred to as pitch height and pitch chroma, respectively. Pitch chroma provides a basis for presenting acoustic patterns (melodies) that do not depend on the particular sound source. In contrast, pitch height provides a basis for segregation of notes into streams to separate sound sources. This paper reports a functional magnetic resonance experiment designed to search for distinct mappings of these two types of pitch change in the human brain. The results show that chroma change is specifically represented anterior to primary auditory cortex, whereas height change is specifically represented posterior to primary auditory cortex. We propose that tracking of acoustic information streams occurs in anterior auditory areas, whereas the segregation of sound objects (a crucial aspect of auditory scene analysis) depends on posterior areas.

Expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma in key neuronal subsets regulating glucose metabolism and energy homeostasis.

PubMed

Sarruf, David A; Yu, Fang; Nguyen, Hong T; Williams, Diana L; Printz, Richard L; Niswender, Kevin D; Schwartz, Michael W

2009-02-01

In addition to increasing insulin sensitivity and adipogenesis, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma agonists cause weight gain and hyperphagia. Given the central role of the brain in the control of energy homeostasis, we sought to determine whether PPARgamma is expressed in key brain areas involved in metabolic regulation. Using immunohistochemistry, PPARgamma distribution and its colocalization with neuron-specific protein markers were investigated in rat and mouse brain sections spanning the hypothalamus, the ventral tegmental area, and the nucleus tractus solitarius. In several brain areas, nuclear PPARgamma immunoreactivity was detected in cells that costained for neuronal nuclei, a neuronal marker. In the hypothalamus, PPARgamma immunoreactivity was observed in a majority of neurons in the arcuate (including both agouti related protein and alpha-MSH containing cells) and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei and was also present in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, the lateral hypothalamic area, and tyrosine hydroxylase-containing neurons in the ventral tegmental area but was not expressed in the nucleus tractus solitarius. To validate and extend these histochemical findings, we generated mice with neuron-specific PPARgamma deletion using nestin cre-LoxP technology. Compared with littermate controls, neuron-specific PPARgamma knockout mice exhibited dramatic reductions of both hypothalamic PPARgamma mRNA levels and PPARgamma immunoreactivity but showed no differences in food intake or body weight over a 4-wk study period. We conclude that: 1) PPARgamma mRNA and protein are expressed in the hypothalamus, 2) neurons are the predominant source of PPARgamma in the central nervous system, although it is likely expressed by nonneuronal cell types as well, and 3) arcuate nucleus neurons that control energy homeostasis and glucose metabolism are among those in which PPARgamma is expressed.

Chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter in the Amazon Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonsior, Michael; Valle, Juliana; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe; Hertkorn, Norbert; Bastviken, David; Luek, Jenna; Harir, Mourad; Bastos, Wanderley; Enrich-Prast, Alex

2016-07-01

Regions in the Amazon Basin have been associated with specific biogeochemical processes, but a detailed chemical classification of the abundant and ubiquitous dissolved organic matter (DOM), beyond specific indicator compounds and bulk measurements, has not yet been established. We sampled water from different locations in the Negro, Madeira/Jamari and Tapajós River areas to characterize the molecular DOM composition and distribution. Ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) combined with excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) revealed a large proportion of ubiquitous DOM but also unique area-specific molecular signatures. Unique to the DOM of the Rio Negro area was the large abundance of high molecular weight, diverse hydrogen-deficient and highly oxidized molecular ions deviating from known lignin or tannin compositions, indicating substantial oxidative processing of these ultimately plant-derived polyphenols indicative of these black waters. In contrast, unique signatures in the Madeira/Jamari area were defined by presumably labile sulfur- and nitrogen-containing molecules in this white water river system. Waters from the Tapajós main stem did not show any substantial unique molecular signatures relative to those present in the Rio Madeira and Rio Negro, which implied a lower organic molecular complexity in this clear water tributary, even after mixing with the main stem of the Amazon River. Beside ubiquitous DOM at average H / C and O / C elemental ratios, a distinct and significant unique DOM pool prevailed in the black, white and clear water areas that were also highly correlated with EEM-PARAFAC components and define the frameworks for primary production and other aspects of aquatic life.

Adsorption of water vapour and the specific surface area of arctic zone soils (Spitsbergen)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cieśla, Jolanta; Sokołowska, Zofia; Witkowska-Walczak, Barbara; Skic, Kamil

2018-01-01

Water vapour/nitrogen adsorption were investigated and calculated the specific surface areas of arctic-zone soil samples (Turbic Cryosols) originating from different micro-relief forms (mud boils, cell forms and sorted circles) and from different depths. For the characterisation of the isotherms obtained for arctic soils, the Brunauer-Emmet-Teller model was then compared with the two other models (Aranovich-Donohue and Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer) which were developed from Brunauer-Emmet-Teller. Specific surface area was calculated using the Brunauer-Emmet-Teller model at p p0-1 range of 0.05-0.35 for the water vapour desorption and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. The values of total specific surface area were the highest in Cryosols on mud boils, lower on cell forms, and the lowest on sorted circles. Such tendency was observed for the results obtained by both the water vapour and nitrogen adsorption. The differences in the values of specific surface area at two investigated layers were small. High determination coefficients were obtained for relationships between the specific surface areas and contents of clay and silt fraction in Cryosols. No statistically significant correlation between the total carbon amount and the values of specific surface area in Cryosols has been found.

The Visi-Chroma VC-100: a new imaging colorimeter for dermatocosmetic research.

PubMed

Barel, A O; Clarys, P; Alewaeters, K; Duez, C; Hubinon, J L; Mommaerts, M

2001-02-01

It was the aim of this study to carry out a comparative evaluation in vitro on standardized color charts and in vivo on healthy subjects using the Visi-Chroma VC-100, a new imaging tristimulus colorimeter and the Minolta Chromameter CR-200 as a reference instrument. The Visi-Chroma combines tristimulus color analysis with full color visualization of the skin area measured. The technical performances of both instruments were compared with the purpose of validating the use of this new imaging colorimeter in dermatocosmetic research. In vitro L*a*b* color parameters were taken with both instruments on standardized color charts (Macbeth and RAL charts) in order to evaluate accuracy, sensitivity range and repeatability. These measurements were completed by in vivo studies on different sites of human skin and studies of color changes induced by topical chemical agents on forearm skin. The accuracy, sensitivity range and repeatability of measurements of selected distances and surfaces in the measuring zone considered and specific color determinations of specific skin zones were also determined. The technical performance of this imaging colorimeter was rather good, with low coefficients of variation for repeatability of in vitro and vivo color measurements. High positive correlations were established in vitro and in vivo over a wide range of color measurements. The imaging colorimeter was able to measure the L*a*b* color parameters of specific chosen parts of the skin area considered and to measure accurately selected distances and surfaces in the same skin site considered. These comparative measurements show that both instruments have very similar technical performances and that high levels of correlation were obtained in vitro and in vivo using the L*a*b* color parameters. In addition, the Visi-Chroma presents the following improvements: 1) direct visualization and recording of the skin area considered with concomitant color measurements; 2) determination of the specific color parameters of skin areas chosen in the total measuring area; and 3) accurate determination of selected distances and surfaces in the same skin areas chosen.

Small ICBM area narrowing report. Volume 1. Hard mobile launcher in random movement basing mode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The purpose of this report is to identify those areas that could potentially support deployment of the Small Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) utilizing basing modes presently considered viable: the Hard Mobile Launcher in Random Movement, the Hard Mobile Launcher at Minuteman Facilities, and the Hard Silo in Patterned Array. Specifically, this report describes the process and the rationale supporting the application of Exclusionary and Evaluative Criteria and lists those locations that were eliminated through the application of these criteria. The remaining locations will be the subject of further investigations.

Small ICBM area narrowing report. Volume 2. Hard mobile launcher at minuteman facilities basing mode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The purpose of this report is to identify those areas that could potentially support deployment of the Small Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) utilizing basing modes presently considered viable: the Hard Mobile Launcher in Random Movement, the Hard Mobile Launcher at Minuteman Facilities, and the Hard Silo in Patterned Array. Specifically, this report describes the process and the rationale supporting the application of Exclusionary and Evaluative Criteria and lists those locations that were eliminated through the application of these criteria. The remaining locations will be the subject of further investigations.

Use of remote sensing in agriculture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pettry, D. E.; Powell, N. L.; Newhouse, M. E.

1974-01-01

Remote sensing studies in Virginia and Chesapeake Bay areas to investigate soil and plant conditions via remote sensing technology are reported ant the results given. Remote sensing techniques and interactions are also discussed. Specific studies on the effects of soil moisture and organic matter on energy reflection of extensively occurring Sassafras soils are discussed. Greenhouse and field studies investigating the effects of chlorophyll content of Irish potatoes on infrared reflection are presented. Selected ground truth and environmental monitoring data are shown in summary form. Practical demonstrations of remote sensing technology in agriculture are depicted and future use areas are delineated.

Lessons learned in dealing with self luminous exit signs.

PubMed

Linsley, Mark E

2005-02-01

Self-luminous signs are generally licensed consumer products used to identifying exits, handicap accessibility areas, parking lots, no smoking areas, life boat locations, and emergency stair locations. While purchasers of these signs are exempt from the requirement of applying for a specific license, they are not exempt from all other requirements concerning radioactive material. And they might not be exempt from the liability that can result from lost or damaged signs and improper disposal. A review of the potential for contamination from these signs is presented along with suggestions for handling a contaminating event involving a damaged sign.

Annotated bibliography of Software Engineering Laboratory literature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

An annotated bibliography of technical papers, documents, and memorandums produced by or related to the Software Engineering Laboratory is presented. More than 100 publications are summarized. These publications are summarized. These publications cover many areas of software engineering and range from research reports to software documentation. This document has been updated and reorganized substantially since the original version (SEL-82-006, November 1982). All materials are grouped into five general subject areas for easy reference: (1) the software engineering laboratory; (2) software tools; (3) models and measures; (4) technology evaluations; and (5) data collection. An index further classifies these documents by specific topic.

NASA Subsonic Rotary Wing Project - Structures and Materials Discipline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halbig, Michael C.; Johnson, Susan M.

2008-01-01

The Structures & Materials Discipline within the NASA Subsonic Rotary Wing Project is focused on developing rotorcraft technologies. The technologies being developed are within the task areas of: 5.1.1 Life Prediction Methods for Engine Structures & Components 5.1.2 Erosion Resistant Coatings for Improved Turbine Blade Life 5.2.1 Crashworthiness 5.2.2 Methods for Prediction of Fatigue Damage & Self Healing 5.3.1 Propulsion High Temperature Materials 5.3.2 Lightweight Structures and Noise Integration The presentation will discuss rotorcraft specific technical challenges and needs as well as details of the work being conducted in the six task areas.

An overview of current Navy programs to develop thrust augmenting ejectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, K. A.

1979-01-01

The primary objective of Navy sponsored research in thrust augmentation is the development of an improved augmenter for V/STOL application. In support of this goal, a data base is being established to provide an accurate prediction capability for use in ejector design. A general technology development of ejectors and associated effects presently is split into the more specific areas of lift and control, since thrust augmenting ejectors may be suitable for both. Research areas examined include advanced diffuser and end wall design; advanced primary nozzles; analytic studies; augmenting reaction controls; and nozzle design.

The status of indoor air pollution.

PubMed Central

Esmen, N A

1985-01-01

Indoor air pollution, specifically restricted in its meaning to chemicals in home indoor air environment, presents a new and probably an important challenge to the researchers of the air pollution field. The general overview of this topic suggests that the voluminous data generated in the past ten or so years have only defined the rudiments of the problem, and significant areas of research still exist. Among the important areas where information is lacking, the exposures to contaminants generated by the use of consumer products and through hobbies and crafts represent perhaps the most urgent need for substantial research. PMID:4085429

Quantifying crowd size with mobile phone and Twitter data

PubMed Central

Botta, Federico; Moat, Helen Susannah; Preis, Tobias

2015-01-01

Being able to infer the number of people in a specific area is of extreme importance for the avoidance of crowd disasters and to facilitate emergency evacuations. Here, using a football stadium and an airport as case studies, we present evidence of a strong relationship between the number of people in restricted areas and activity recorded by mobile phone providers and the online service Twitter. Our findings suggest that data generated through our interactions with mobile phone networks and the Internet may allow us to gain valuable measurements of the current state of society. PMID:26064667

Distance Measurements In X-Ray Pictures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsgren, Per-Ola

1987-10-01

In this paper, a measurement method for the distance between binary objects will be presented. It has been developed for a specific purpose, the evaluation of rheumatic disease, but should be useful also in other applications. It is based on a distance map in the area between binary objects. A skeleton is extracted from the distance map by searching for local maxima. The distance measure is based on the average of skelton points in a defined measurement area. An objective criterion for selection of measurement points on the skeleton is proposed. Preliminary results indicate that good repeatability is attained.

Robotic assistants in personal care: A scoping review.

PubMed

Bilyea, A; Seth, N; Nesathurai, S; Abdullah, H A

2017-11-01

The aim of this study is to present an overview of the technological advances in the field of robotics developed for assistance with activities of daily living (ADL), and to present areas where further research is required. Four databases were searched for articles presenting either a novel design of one of these personal care robotic system or trial results relating to these systems. Articles presenting nine different robotic personal care systems were examined, six of which had been developed after 2005. These six also all have publications relating to their trials. In the majority of trials, patient independence was improved with operation of the robotic device for a specific subset of ADL. A map of the current state of the field of personal care robotics is presented in this study. Areas requiring further research include improving feedback and awareness, as well as refining control methods and pre-programmed behaviors. Developing an affordable, easy to use system would help fill the current gap in the commercial market. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Initial and sustained brain responses to threat anticipation in blood-injection-injury phobia.

PubMed

Brinkmann, Leonie; Poller, Hendrik; Herrmann, Martin J; Miltner, Wolfgang; Straube, Thomas

2017-01-01

Blood-injection-injury (BII) phobia differs from other subtypes of specific phobia in that it is associated with elevated disgust-sensitivity as well as specific autonomic and brain responses during processing of phobia-relevant stimuli. To what extent these features play a role already during threat anticipation is unclear. In the current fMRI experiment, 16 female BII phobics and 16 female healthy controls anticipated the presentation of phobia-specific and neutral pictures. On the behavioral level, anxiety dominated the anticipatory period in BII phobics relative to controls, while both anxiety and disgust were elevated during picture presentation. By applying two different models for the analysis of brain responses to anticipation of phobia-specific versus neutral stimuli, we found initial and sustained increases of activation in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula, lateral and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), thalamus and visual areas, as well as initial activation in the amygdala for BII phobics as compared to healthy controls. These results suggest that BII phobia is characterized by activation of a typical neural defense network during threat anticipation, with anxiety as the predominant emotion.

Brain blood flow changes measured by positron emission tomography during an auditory cognitive task in healthy volunteers and in schizophrenic patients.

PubMed

Emri, Miklós; Glaub, Teodóra; Berecz, Roland; Lengyel, Zsolt; Mikecz, Pál; Repa, Imre; Bartók, Eniko; Degrell, István; Trón, Lajos

2006-05-01

Cognitive deficit is an essential feature of schizophrenia. One of the generally used simple cognitive tasks to characterize specific cognitive dysfunctions is the auditory "oddball" paradigm. During this task, two different tones are presented with different repetition frequencies and the subject is asked to pay attention and to respond to the less frequent tone. The aim of the present study was to apply positron emission tomography (PET) to measure the regional brain blood flow changes induced by an auditory oddball task in healthy volunteers and in stable schizophrenic patients in order to detect activation differences between the two groups. Eight healthy volunteers and 11 schizophrenic patients were studied. The subjects carried out a specific auditory oddball task, while cerebral activation measured via the regional distribution of [15O]-butanol activity changes in the PET camera was recorded. Task-related activation differed significantly across the patients and controls. The healthy volunteers displayed significant activation in the anterior cingulate area (Brodman Area - BA32), while in the schizophrenic patients the area was wider, including the mediofrontal regions (BA32 and BA10). The distance between the locations of maximal activation of the two populations were 33 mm and the cluster size was about twice as large in the patient group. The present results demonstrate that the perfusion changes induced in the schizophrenic patients by this cognitive task extends over a larger part of the mediofrontal cortex than in the healthy volunteers. The different pattern of activation observed during the auditory oddball task in the schizophrenic patients suggests that a larger cortical area - and consequently a larger variety of neuronal networks--is involved in the cognitive processes in these patients. The dispersion of stimulus processing during a cognitive task requiring sustained attention and stimulus discrimination may play an important role in the pathomechanism of the disorder.

An Alternative Wearable Tracking System Based on a Low-Power Wide-Area Network.

PubMed

Fernández-Garcia, Raul; Gil, Ignacio

2017-03-14

This work presents an alternative wearable tracking system based on a low-power wide area network. A complete GPS receiver was integrated with a textile substrate, and the latitude and longitude coordinates were sent to the cloud by means of the SIM-less SIGFOX network. To send the coordinates over SIGFOX protocol, a specific codification algorithm was used and a customized UHF antenna on jeans fabric was designed, simulated and tested. Moreover, to guarantee the compliance to international regulations for human body exposure to electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic specific absorption rate of this antenna was analyzed. A specific remote server was developed to decode the latitude and longitude coordinates. Once the coordinates have been decoded, the remote server sends this information to the open source data viewer SENTILO to show the location of the sensor node in a map. The functionality of this system has been demonstrated experimentally. The results guarantee the utility and wearability of the proposed tracking system for the development of sensor nodes and point out that it can be a low cost alternative to other commercial products based on GSM networks.

Solar space heating installed at Kansas City, Kansas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The solar energy system was constructed with the 48,800 square feet warehouse to heat the warehouse area of about 39,000 square feet while an auxiliary energy system heats the office area of about 9,800 square feet. The building is divided into 20 equal units, and each has its own solar system. The modular design permits the flexibility of combining multiple units to form offices or warehouses of various size floor areas as required by a tenant. Each unit has 20 collectors which are mounted in a single row. The collectors are double glazed flat plate collectors with a gross area of 7,800 sq ft. Air is heated either through the collectors or by the electric resistance duct coils. Extracts from the site files, specifications, drawings, installation, operation and maintenance instructions are presented.

The European nanometrology landscape.

PubMed

Leach, Richard K; Boyd, Robert; Burke, Theresa; Danzebrink, Hans-Ulrich; Dirscherl, Kai; Dziomba, Thorsten; Gee, Mark; Koenders, Ludger; Morazzani, Valérie; Pidduck, Allan; Roy, Debdulal; Unger, Wolfgang E S; Yacoot, Andrew

2011-02-11

This review paper summarizes the European nanometrology landscape from a technical perspective. Dimensional and chemical nanometrology are discussed first as they underpin many of the developments in other areas of nanometrology. Applications for the measurement of thin film parameters are followed by two of the most widely relevant families of functional properties: measurement of mechanical and electrical properties at the nanoscale. Nanostructured materials and surfaces, which are seen as key materials areas having specific metrology challenges, are covered next. The final section describes biological nanometrology, which is perhaps the most interdisciplinary applications area, and presents unique challenges. Within each area, a review is provided of current status, the capabilities and limitations of current techniques and instruments, and future directions being driven by emerging industrial measurement requirements. Issues of traceability, standardization, national and international programmes, regulation and skills development will be discussed in a future paper.

The European nanometrology landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leach, Richard K.; Boyd, Robert; Burke, Theresa; Danzebrink, Hans-Ulrich; Dirscherl, Kai; Dziomba, Thorsten; Gee, Mark; Koenders, Ludger; Morazzani, Valérie; Pidduck, Allan; Roy, Debdulal; Unger, Wolfgang E. S.; Yacoot, Andrew

2011-02-01

This review paper summarizes the European nanometrology landscape from a technical perspective. Dimensional and chemical nanometrology are discussed first as they underpin many of the developments in other areas of nanometrology. Applications for the measurement of thin film parameters are followed by two of the most widely relevant families of functional properties: measurement of mechanical and electrical properties at the nanoscale. Nanostructured materials and surfaces, which are seen as key materials areas having specific metrology challenges, are covered next. The final section describes biological nanometrology, which is perhaps the most interdisciplinary applications area, and presents unique challenges. Within each area, a review is provided of current status, the capabilities and limitations of current techniques and instruments, and future directions being driven by emerging industrial measurement requirements. Issues of traceability, standardization, national and international programmes, regulation and skills development will be discussed in a future paper.

Waveform generation in the EETS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilshire, J. P.

1985-05-01

Design decisions and analysis for the waveform generation portion of an electrical equipment test set are discussed. This test set is unlike conventional ATE in that it is portable and designed to operate in forward area sites for the USMC. It is also unique in that it provides for functional testing for 32 electronic units from the AV-88 Harrier II aircraft. Specific requirements for the waveform generator are discussed, including a wide frequency range, high resolution and accuracy, and low total harmonic distortion. Several approaches to meet these requirements are considered and a specific concept is presented in detail, which consists of a digitally produced waveform that feeds a deglitched analog conversion circuit. Rigorous mathematical analysis is presented to prove that this concept meets the requirements. Finally, design alternatives and enhancements are considered.

Multiple eschars in scrub typhus: a case report.

PubMed

Koraluru, Munegowda; Nandigam, Manideep; Bairy, Indira; Vidyasagar, Sudha; Varma, Muralidhar

2017-01-01

Eschar in scrub typhus aids in early diagnosis and institution of appropriate therapy; however, the eschar positivity rates vary greatly in endemic regions. Multiple eschars in scrub typhus are a rare presentation. Our patient presented with fever and multiple eschars and was empirically started on doxycycline. Nested polymerase chain reaction from all the four eschars and from EDTA blood were positive for 56-kDa type-specific antigen which is specific for Orientia tsutsugamushi The patient recovered completely after 7 days of antibiotic treatment. He was from an area where scrub typhus was not observed previously. An eschar in an acute febrile patient from the "tsutsugamushi triangle" is a valuable sign in scrub typhus diagnosis. A search for multiple eschars in scrub typhus must be made by clinicians. © The Author(s) 2016.

An Integrated Model for Identifying Desertification risk areas, using Fuzzy Membership and Geospatial Technique - A Case Study, Kota District, Rajasthan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasgupta, Arunima; Dhinwa, P. S.; Sastry, K. L. N.; Ajai, A.

2012-07-01

Desertification, in other words the land degradation in drylands, is one of the alarming environmental problems now a days. It is important to estimate the risk of desertification in order to take proper measures for its prevention. The present research intends to identify the areas under the risk of desertification along with their severity in terms of degradation in natural parameters. The study adopted an integrated Model with fuzzy membership analysis and geospatial techniques, including four specific natural parameters namely Slope, Soil pH, soil depth and NDVI. First, parameters are classified according to their deviation from the mean. Second, the membership of each individual values is obtained to be in certain class. Here, assuming the distribution of a natural parameter to be in Gaussian manner, and Normal probability density function is used to obtain the membership of individual variable to be in a class. Thus if a single class of a single parameter is with mean μ and standard deviation σ, the values falling beyond μ+2σ and μ-2σ are not representing that class, but a transitional zone between two subsequent classes. These are the most important areas in terms of degradation, as they have the lowest probability to be in a certain class, hence highest probability to be extended or narrowed down in next or previous class respectively. Practically, these are the values which can be easily altered, under extrogenic influences, hence are identified as risk areas. Corrective methods should be applied to these vulnerable areas. The overall desertification risk is derived by incorporating the different risk severity of each parameter in GIS environment. Multi-criteria based geo-statistics are applied to locate the areas under different severity of desertification risk. In Kota, various anthropogenic pressures are accelerating land deterioration, coupled with natural erosive forces. Four major source of desertification in Kota, namely Gully and Ravine erosion, inappropriate mining practices, growing urbanization and random deforestation. The study reveals the southern part of Kota is the area under alarming risk of desertification. Here, in Ladpura and Sangod tahsil, the topography is prevailed by the residual mountain ranges of Aravalli with a height ranging from 350 to 450 metres with a slope range of 0.97 to 2.5 degree. This area is under reserved forest, and once prevailed by dense forest as shown in toposheet. At present, as the all the vegetation cover had been removed by human intervention and the land surface is totally exposed to weather, land is continuously and vigorously degrading specifically by rain splash and sheet erosion. In addition, in Ramganjmandi-Chachat area, the soil is more acidic, with a range of pH value in between 7.5 to 8.2. This is because of huge waste disposal of kota-stone mining. Apart from these, the main KOTA city area and Kota barrage area are also under high risk of land degradation in terms of soil pH, because of water-logging and urban disposal. Another important area under risk of degradation is northern part of the district, specifically the bank of Chambal river and Kalisindh, due to vigorous water erosion. The study concludes with the findings of the risk areas with their severity and helps to locate the risk areas which require immediate attention for suitable conservation measures. The future scope of this research is to predict the future risk, to decide priority areas for proper conservation and to make an automated model for both present and future desertification risk.

Analysis of strong-interaction dynamic stall for laminar flow on airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibeling, H. J.; Shamroth, S. J.; Eiseman, P. R.

1978-01-01

A compressible Navier-Stokes solution procedure is applied to the flow about an isolated airfoil. Two major problem areas were investigated. The first area is that of developing a coordinate system and an initial step in this direction has been taken. An airfoil coordinate system obtained from specification of discrete data points developed and the heat conduction equation has been solved in this system. Efforts required to allow the Navier-Stokes equations to be solved in this system are discussed. The second problem area is that of obtaining flow field solutions. Solutions for the flow about a circular cylinder and an isolated airfoil are presented. In the former case, the prediction is shown to be in good agreement with data.

The Mouse Cortical Connectome, Characterized by an Ultra-Dense Cortical Graph, Maintains Specificity by Distinct Connectivity Profiles.

PubMed

Gămănuţ, Răzvan; Kennedy, Henry; Toroczkai, Zoltán; Ercsey-Ravasz, Mária; Van Essen, David C; Knoblauch, Kenneth; Burkhalter, Andreas

2018-02-07

The inter-areal wiring pattern of the mouse cerebral cortex was analyzed in relation to a refined parcellation of cortical areas. Twenty-seven retrograde tracer injections were made in 19 areas of a 47-area parcellation of the mouse neocortex. Flat mounts of the cortex and multiple histological markers enabled detailed counts of labeled neurons in individual areas. The observed log-normal distribution of connection weights to each cortical area spans 5 orders of magnitude and reveals a distinct connectivity profile for each area, analogous to that observed in macaques. The cortical network has a density of 97%, considerably higher than the 66% density reported in macaques. A weighted graph analysis reveals a similar global efficiency but weaker spatial clustering compared with that reported in macaques. The consistency, precision of the connectivity profile, density, and weighted graph analysis of the present data differ significantly from those obtained in earlier studies in the mouse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Post-Closure Report for Closed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Units, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada: For Fiscal Year 2015 (October 2014–September 2015), Revision 0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matthews, Patrick

This report serves as the combined annual report for post-closure activities for the following closed corrective action units (CAUs); CAU 90, Area 2 Bitcutter Containment; CAU 91, Area 3 U-3fi Injection Well; CAU 92, Area 6 Decon Pond Facility; CAU 110, Area 3 WMD U-3ax/bl Crater; CAU 111, Area 5 WMD Retired Mixed Waste Pits; and CAU 112, Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches. This report covers fiscal year 2015 (October 2014 through September 2015). The post-closure requirements for these sites are described in Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Permit Number NEV HW0101 and are summarized in each CAU-specific section inmore » Section 1.0 of this report. The results of the inspections, a summary of maintenance activities, and an evaluation of monitoring data are presented in this report.« less

[Environment and health in Gela (Sicily): present knowledge and prospects for future studies].

PubMed

Musmeci, Loredana; Bianchi, Fabrizio; Carere, Mario; Cori, Liliana

2009-01-01

The study area includes the Municipalities of Gela, Niscemi and Butera located in the South of Sicily, Italy. In 1990 it was declared Area at High Risk of Environmental Crisis. In 2000 part of it was designated as Gela Reclamation Site of National Interest, RSNI. The site includes a private industrial area, public and marine areas, for a total of 51 km(2). Gela populationin 2008 was 77,145 (54,774 in 1961). Sea level:46 m. Total area: 276 km(2). Grid reference: 37 degrees 4' 0" N, 14 degrees 15' 0" E. Niscemi and Butera are located border to Gela. Populations are respectively 26,541 and 5,063. Sea level respectively: 332 m and 402 m. Close to the city of Gela, the industrial area, operating since 1962, includes chemical production plants, a power station and an oil refinery plant, one of the larger in Europe, refining 5 millions tons of crude per year. From the beginning the workforces decreased from 7,000 to the current 3,000 units. Over the years, these industrial activities have been a major source of environmental pollution. Extremely high levels of toxic, persistent and bio-accumulating chemical pollutants have been documented. Many relevant environmental and health data are available. Prior to the studies described in the present publication, their use in order to identify environmental pressures on health has been limited. Nevertheless, since several years different epidemiological studies have provided evidence of the occurrence of health outcomes significantly higher than in neighbouring areas and compared to regional data. In 2007 a Multidisciplinary Working Group has been established, to analyze the existing data on pollution-exposure-effect and to complete current knowledge on the cycle of pollutants, from migration in the environment to health impact. The present publication is a collection of contribution of this group of experts, supported by the following projects: Evaluation of environmental health impact and estimation of economic costs at of National Interest Remediation Sites coordinated by the Italian National Institute of Health on behalf of the Ministry for the Environment and Technical Assistance of WHO Health and Environment Centre to the Sicilian Region to develop plans for environmental remediation. Results describe the state of contamination of a variety of environmental matrices in the area. Other contributions are addressed to understanding action mechanisms of main pollutants and their environmental pathways, as well as to identifying crucial knowledge to be used for studying the environment-health relations. A specific attention has been paid to pollutants migration in the environment and to the potential exposure of the population. Appropriate markers of exposure and physiological changes are described and referred to the chemical substances identified in the environment in Gela. Details are given about the genotoxic and endocrine disrupting potential, and about the potential association between markers of exposure and diseases observed in excess in the same area. Indications to develop specific biomarkers for Index Substances and human biomonitoring surveys for populations exposed to environmental risk are presented and discussed. A specific multiple-exposure risk assessment procedure is proposed for Index Substances. Epidemiological studies useful to describe the health status of Gela population are summarized. One report deals with the occupational and residential analyses of male petrochemical workers, born in Sicily, employed from 1960 to the end of 1993, followed up for mortality from 1960 to 2002. Major findings were amarked healthy worker effect and an increased lung cancer risk for residence in Gela. The analyses of death certificates from 1995 to 2002 and of hospital discharge records from 2001 to 2007 confirm the potentialities of these current statistics for ecological studies: they depict the poor health conditions of Gela residents compared to other neighbouring municipalities in a 40-km range. Infact, the overall mortality rate for tumor and non-tumor causes in Gela is significantly higher for both sexes, and this is shown also in the Municipality of Niscemi, especially among the male population. Hospital discharge records for tumor causes, but especially for non-tumor ones, exceeded expectations in both genders and must be analysed taking into consideration the attraction exerted on the surrounding areas by the Gela hospital. Data analysis according to 5 ten-year birth cohorts, from 1915 to 1964, shows a decreasing mortality trend, whereas the increase of hospital admissions is confirmed in the younger generations. The issue of birth defects is recurrent in this area: a suitable register is lacking so that updated figures cannot be presented. However, data previously published showed excesses of prevalence rates of several specific birth defects, mainly urinary tract and genital anomalies. The same is worth in the incidence of new cancer cases since the development of a proper register is yet in progress. Tools and methodologies that should be applied in Gela to study environment-health relations are proposed, like Life Cycle Analysis, dispersion patterns and an air-quality monitoring system. A conceptual model considering all pollution sources and different exposure patterns present in Gela, developed by the Multidisciplinary Working Group, is presented. Among the activities carried out by regional authorities, two Reports on the Regional Environment Protection Agency monitoring activity and on the EU Program SEARCH, School Environment And Respiratory Health in Children, are included. A section is devoted to understanding what is necessary to build an epidemiological monitoring system specifically designed for this area, in order to keep under permanent control environment-related health outcomes. This includes a systematic and continuative collection, storage and analysis of environmental-induced diseases, exposure and risk factors, as well as a timely dissemination of those information to the decision-makers. The final article describes the research activities carried out to design and implement a human biomonitoring survey in the area. These activities included relation-building with local communities, information collection, meetings, involvement of stake-holders. This experience will reach its climax when the community-exposure data feedback will be provided, because it will mark the consolidation of present knowledge and its possible processing into public health action plans. The present publication can represent an important tool and a model for all interest-bearers to assess environmental pollution impacts on human health in contaminated areas. A local system to assess the relation between environmental pollution and population health is therefore urgently needed to provide risk managers with ad-hoc tools to improve environmental protection and prevent further risks for local communities.

Analyzing Ethics in the Administration of Interscholastic Sports: Three Key Gender-Related Ethical Dilemmas Faced by Educational Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whisenant, Warren A.; Pedersen, Paul M.; Clavio, Galen

2010-01-01

Athletic administrators and decision makers within interscholastic athletics are expected to embrace a code of ethics that serves as a set of rules to guide their professional behavior. Included within this code are areas of controversy that present gender-related ethical dilemmas for administrators. Three specific ethical dilemmas involve (1)…